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muuum-am-i-adohhhpted · 2 years

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Identical (Empires SMP)

summary: identical twins, gem and fwhip, are closer than close. then, on their tenth birthday, gem finds out she's a wizard which changes their relationship forever.

ao3 link

word count: 3174

written for the @empires-fine. thank you to all the mods for organizing this event! i've really enjoyed it!

warnings: angst

~~~

Gem could hear the Crystal Cliffs clock tower ring eleven times in the distance. She should have been in bed like the rest of her peers, snuggled under their blankets in the Academy of Wizardry. She even had a test tomorrow.

But no matter how much Gem tried to squeeze her eyes shut, no matter how much she tried to silence her racing thoughts, sleep wouldn't come.

And now here she was: in the girls bathroom with a pair of shears balancing on the side of the sink. She ran her hands through her hair to rid it of its knots before slowly beginning to twist her hair into its signature braid. From the day she was born to present day, her hair had not been cut—save a couple of trims here and there. It was fifteen years of near pure growth.

When Gem was done and tied her braid off, she looked at herself in the mirror. fWhip's face stared back at her.

And that was the issue. Every reflective surface Gem looked at, she saw her twin brother staring back at her. She'd be walking to class, pass a mirror, and jolt in surprise so violently that students and teachers alike in the hallway would give her odd stares.

Just yesterday the group of students that had adopted Gem into their friend group had gone swimming and, as Gem stood at the top of the diving board, she saw fWhip's face within the gentle waves and was so frozen by the sight of him that the lifeguard had to forcibly remove her from the diving board so the others could have their turn.

Gem needed to stop caring about fWhip. He had obviously already replaced her with someone better. It had only been a year away from the Grimlands and fWhip already had a new best friend.

Gem slowly picked up the pair of shears and chopped off her braid.

~~~

fWhip was a pretty heavy sleeper except when it came to Gem. Their parents could ride an elephant down his and Gem's hallway and he'd still sleep like a baby. But the moment his door was cracked open and Gem gently padded into his room, his eyes would flash open.

And that was exactly what happened on his and Gem's tenth birthday. But not his parents riding an elephant.

fWhip slowly sat up in his bed and saw Gem in her black and red pajamas. Her long hair was slightly frizzy and she was holding a rectangular box wrapped in wrapping paper. As she crawled onto fWhip's bed, she grinned and said, "happy birthday."

fWhip flung his torso off the side of the mattress in order to quickly dig under his bed and grab the little box he had placed there the night before. He exchanged his box for Gem’s. “Happy birthday to us.”

fWhip began to tear into his box while Gem carefully peeled back the tape so as not to tear anything.

“A scarf!” fWhip exclaimed, pulling a red scarf that was soft to the touch. He took one and wrapped it around his neck. “I love it!” It would surely keep him warm in the chilly Grimlands climate.

Gem finished opening her gift and pulled the necklace out by the chain. Her eyes grew wide as she noticed the pendant. “Wow! Amethyst! Where’d you find an amethyst shard?”

“I was talking to one of the Grimlands miner’s and she told me that they found a geode. Can you believe it? The Grimlands only own one other geode that was discovered nearly 70 years ago! So, when she told me that, I asked if she’d snag a shard for me.”

“fWhip, you shouldn’t get other people to steal for you.”

“I mean, technically I’m stealing it from our family. It’s no biggie. Other clusters will form.”

“Yeah! In five years!” Gem rolled her eyes but she was smiling. fWhip just managed to catch himself and Gem in the mirror. They were completely matching. Both fWhip and Gem had their matching long hair tied back in a braid and the same pajamas. The only difference was that fWhip was wearing his new red scarf.

“Try on the necklace!” fWhip then exclaimed. "I’ll clasp it up for you.” fWhip picked up the amethyst necklace. Gem turned her back to him and fWhip began fiddling with the length. Once he thought it was good, he asked, “how’s this?”

Gem didn’t respond right away. fWhip assumed maybe she was doing that thing where she pretended not to hear him. “Gem?”

“Uh…fWhip…the crystal’s not supposed to glow, isn’t it?”

“What—?” fWhip began but Gem turned around and fWhip’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head. A dull, purple, light was emitting from the pendant around Gem’s neck. It seemed to grow in saturation as fWhip and Gem stared at it. Soon, it was a bright purple that lit up the entirety of fWhip’s bedroom.

Everything happened in quick succession after the bright purple light flooded the castle and woke nearly the whole castle. Gem was enrolled in the Crystal Cliffs Academy for Wizardry. Their parents bought her a bunch of books and a tutor to learn the basics before she started school in a month. She was revealed to Eastvale to be a wizard which skyrocketed her popularity and Grimland’s pride.

Everyday Gem was whisked away in the morning and didn't return until supper where their parents talked to her about her studies and what she learned that day. fWhip slowly felt like he was becoming part of the furniture. He hardly saw his sister anymore.

When he did try to talk to Gem when her tutor wasn't around, it was like Gem was too busy studying to hang out with her brother.

"Gem!" fWhip had burst into Gem's room one day, the sun bright and reflecting off the snowy peaks out the window. "Eastvale has been decorated for winter! We could go down and get some ice pops. It shouldn't take too long."

Gem turned around at her desk which was better than her usual "mmm" and ignore tactic. She glanced out the window and sighed. fWhip wasn't sure if that was an "oh! How I wish to go outside with my dear brother" sigh or a "my brother is so annoying sigh".

"I guess that's a no?" fWhip said, exhaling a sigh of his own. "Surely you deserve a break? The last time we hung out was the morning of our birthday before…in any case," he hurried along, "we should hang out before you go to the Crystal Cliffs."

Gem's eyebrows drew down and she looked like she was about to relent before her tutor bustled in. Gem's mouth turned into a thin line and she shook her head sadly. "Sorry, fWhip. I should stay here. Bring me back an ice pop?"

"Out! Out!" She told fWhip in that nasally tone of hers. "Your sister does not need any kind of distractions. She is going to be a very important wizard one day, you know."

"Sure!" fWhip exclaimed as he was practically pushed out of Gem's bedroom by her tutor. Perhaps he could bring it to her at night and they'd sneak out of the castle like old times.

On his way down to Eastvale, fWhip noticed a large horse drawn carriage. The horses were pitch black and the carriage had the familiar insignia of Mythland—his father's sister's empire.

"fWhip!" Sausage barreled towards fWhip, a tiny ball of pure energy. fWhip didn't want to know how his parents dealt with him when he ate any kind of sugary sweet. "I've heard all about Gem and her wizard powers. Do you think I could be a wizard too? I've tried waving sticks around Mythland, hoping for something to happen but nothing ever does. It's too bad you aren't a wizard. I would have thought you would be since you're twins and all."

fWhip took in a deep breath. Sausage was fWhip's only cousin and quite hard to ignore. Usually during holidays and such when the two empires were together, fWhip and Gem made it a game to find someplace to hide and have fun without Sausage there. Eventually, they were always found out and they'd have to find a new spot. It was kind of a sort of game between the three of them.

Not that Sausage was all that bad of a person. Only three years younger than fWhip and Gem, he acted like most seven year old boys who felt trapped in his castle. But he was just a lot to deal with. fWhip and Gem often compared him to a piece of too-sugary chocolate. Fine for the first couple of bites, but way too much after that.

"Uh, hey, Sausage," fWhip greeted, avoiding answering anything Sausage had just said. "What are you doing over here in the Grimlands?"

"It's the Winter Festival, isn't it? The Grimlands do winter way better than Mythland. "Come on, let's go look at all the stuff in the markets!" And before fWhip could protest, Sausage took hold of his arm and dragged him away.

fWhip had to admit, it was fun. He had missed running through Eastvale and interacting with the people who lived in his kingdom. Sausage wasn't as bad as he remembered, either. They had fun buying little trinkets and building snowmen. They stayed outside until their fingers were stiff and the sun went down. The day didn't end when the sun went down, and fWhip and Sausage made their way into a cafe where they drank hot chocolates until the worker had to cut them off.

It was only after fWhip managed to drag himself to bed, Sausage telling him that they should hang out more often—and fWhip agreeing!—that he realized that he had forgotten to bring home an ice pop for Gem.

fWhip knew he should've felt bad about it. He had promised to bring one home to her. But he didn't. She probably wouldn't remember, anyways. She had clearly found something more important than her brother. And fWhip had to deal with that.

~~~

Gem was panicking. There was so much to learn. So many things to do in preparation for her first year at the Crystal Cliff's Academy of Wizardry.

She wished there was time for breaks in her new busy schedule but there just wasn’t. At supper, she worried that she was taking too long to eat. While brushing her teeth, she went over spells and pronunciations in her head. When she laid in bed at night, she guilted herself until she read her stacks of textbooks until she fell asleep, cheek to the paper.

And through it all, she could hear her parents’ and her tutor’s voice: “never before has there been a wizard who reacts to amethyst like that. You have a lot of power and potential within you. The last person like you was the last Grand Wizard. And they died over 100 years ago.”

Gem didn’t know much about becoming Grand Wizard. Apparently there was some kind of test. Gem avoided thinking about that. First she had to pass all her classes and graduate from the Academy.

Her tutor was constantly telling her that she was years behind Crystal Cliffs locals who were taught their magic basics the same time as their ABC's.

She felt bad about blowing off fWhip whenever he offered to hang out but she just couldn't allow herself to not study when she knew how many more books, spells, and potions she had to learn before starting school.

Besides, there was another reason she couldn't bear hanging out with fWhip for longer than supper or the occasional conversation before bed. The issue of the Grimlands succession.

Technically, Gem was the eldest (by only six minutes), but Gem and fWhip's parents decreed after their birth that they'd rule together once they were of age and decide amongst themselves afterwards.

That had always been the plan: rule together for a couple of years and then get down to business after that.

But there had always been an understanding between her and fWhip that she'd eventually be the ruler of the Grimlands. fWhip didn't want the responsibility of being in charge of an entire empire (even though Gem knew he'd do spectacularly). Furthermore, fWhip wanted to focus on becoming an inventor. And, as he told Gem once at the ripe age of seven: "there's too much work to being a ruler when your brain is already constantly running through possible inventions."

Gem had never really been bothered by fWhip not wanting to become the future ruler of the Grimlands. She knew she was a good, fair, leader and she cared about the people of Eastvale—she had grown up with them, afterall. She would've made a fine ruler of the Grimlands.

But when Gem's magic talents became realized, everyone and their mother from the Grimlands and the Crystal Cliffs were talking to her as if she'd be the next Grand Wizard. And she hadn't even started school yet.

Gem had never really thought that she could really become the next Grand Wizard. She had started her schooling too late, she wasn't even from the Crystal Cliffs.

But as she got deeper and deeper into her studies, no longer learning the basics that were boring but nonetheless important, she found that she really loved learning about magic. There was so much about magic that wasn't understood yet. It was temperamental and powerful and beautiful. There were no rules saying Grand Wizards had to be from the Crystal Cliffs. All they had to do was pass a test. A mysterious test that no one who had previously done it was allowed to talk about.

As Gem's time in the Grimlands grew shorter, she realized she wanted to become Grand Wizard. Or, at least try to.

But that meant fWhip would become the ruler of the Grimlands, a title he had not wanted in the first place.

How could Gem do that to her own brother? They were supposed to be there for each other and tell each other everything. Yet she was too afraid to tell fWhip that he would have to become the next ruler of the Grimlands. He had no other siblings to pass the title off to.

Gem was really planning on telling fWhip the news, really. Her parents were tight lipped as always and Gem knew that, if she didn't tell fWhip, he'd find out when their parents deemed necessary. AKA, the day of his coronation.

A week before leaving for the Crystal Cliffs and when Gem's tutor left to prepare back at the Academy, Gem finally found it in herself to take a day off. After months of non-stop studying, it felt weird to not be holed up in her room. The guilt still clung to her, but Gem tried to ignore the feeling and her tutor's voice in her head telling her to study.

Gem made her way to fWhip's room. They had a lot to talk about. She worried about how fWhip was holding up. He had never been one to start new friendships. He was friendly with everyone he met, yes, but he often wasn't the one to initiate a friendship.

fWhip's bedroom was empty. Odd.

"Are you looking for Prince fWhip?" A passing maid asked, holding a mop and a bucket of water. "He's out with Prince Sausage of Mythland. He should be back for supper."

"Sausage?" Gem repeated, wrinkling her nose. She had never thought fWhip would willingly hang out with their younger cousin. "Since when?"

The maid thought for a moment. "Mmmm, since the Winter Festival?"

All through that week, Gem tried to find fWhip alone to talk to him about the future of the Grimlands. But each time, he was either talking to their parents excitedly over supper about his excursions with Sausage or out on said excursions with Sausage.

Sneaking out of bed was nearly impossible with the increased security in the castle (who knew housing a maybe-future-Grand-Wizard was a risk).

On Gem's last day in the Grimlands, fWhip didn't even show up to wish her goodbye. He and Sausage were apparently too busy froliking through the nearby forest having the time of their lives.

Gem managed to hold her tears until she was in the carriage. Halfway to the Crystal Cliffs, she realized she could have written a letter to fWhip detailing everything. But now it was too late. The Academy had a no distractions policy while school was in session—no letters were allowed to go in or out.

Gem probably should’ve felt bad that she hadn’t tried harder or earlier to talk to fWhip but she didn’t, not really. fWhip had obviously found something more important to do than hang out with her. And Gem just had to deal with that.

~~~

fWhip couldn’t fall asleep. So he was sitting by his window, staring at his reflection in the window that only reminded him of Gem.

He glanced at the red scarf hanging from the back of his door and sighed. He missed his sister even though she had just gone back a week ago ahead of schedule. Throughout the year, she was at the Crystal Cliffs and during the summers, she was holed up in her room studying. Even on their fifteenth birthday this year, she was hardly around for the festivities.

But missing his sister wasn't the only thing that was keeping him awake. He had been walking around Eastvale this afternoon when someone stopped him in the streets, mistaking him for Gem. It wasn't an odd occurrence by any means but it was the topic of conversation that was.

"I heard you're planning on becoming Grand Wizard—I wish you all the best!" That was what the villager had told him.

fWhip didn't even know what that meant. After doing some asking around, he figured out that it was like being a ruler. Which only meant one thing: fWhip would become the ruler of the Grimlands. Why hadn't Gem told him about this? Why did the people of Eastvale know this before him? It only made him spiral throughout the entire day and now here he was, thinking about Gem when she probably was too busy to wonder about her poor baby brother.

And that was when fWhip snapped. He couldn't stand looking like his soon-to-be Grand Wizard sister (fWip had no doubt she would become the next Grand Wizard because he knew that when Gem put her mind to something, she could do practically anything).

People would constantly be mistaking him for her and it would only remind him of everything he wasn't. She was ruler material, he wasn't. She was hard-working, he wasn't. She was a wizard, he wasn't.

fWhip bounded out of his bedroom and to the bathroom where he took the nearest pair of shears and took his braid into his free hand. He would look like Gem no longer. And so fWhip chopped off his braid.

#empies fine 2022 #empires smp #geminitay #fwhip #mythicalsausage #empires smp fanfic #empires smp fanfiction #roseblings

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oohfluffy · 2 years

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SY Ch.3 | DKS

Group: EXO

Member: Do Kyungsoo

Theme: Angst | Fluff | Neighbor!AU

Word Count: 3,503

chapter 3

Your eyes were restless as they moved back and forth from the bathroom to your paper on your grasp. It's only been 10 minutes, but you felt like you've been waiting since yesterday.

Kyungsoo started working as soon as you told him what happened to your shower. He was just as silent as he was in the café, swiftly taking out his tools and observing the shower head down to the knob. You just watched him for 5 minutes until he spoke.

"I think the water pressure is too low, that's why the water is not properly coming out of the shower head." His eyes roamed around the bathroom, stopping at the sight of the main valve under the sink. He adjusted the valve and tried to open the shower again, but it still didn't work. "Nothing's wrong with the valve. Can I check the shower head?"

"Yeah sure." You just nodded as you watched him take the shower head and tinker it. You looked at the time and was thinking of doing some of your work as you watch him here. He was so serious as he disassembled the shower head carefully. "I'll just be right here when you need something."

"Okay."

Now, you're sitting near the bathroom door with eyebrows furrowed as you read through your files. Fortunately, you have a chair and a coffee table near your bathroom. You can still see him from here, and he was standing by the sink as he checked the interior of the shower head.

"Your shower head clogged up. There are some mineral deposits in here that block the water ways." He spoke in a loud voice but it was still pleasant to listen to. Your mouth gaped as you stood up. "Just needs a little cleaning. You can use vinegar if you want."

"Oh, uh. I'll get a spray."

The shower head needs to be cleaned too? I didn't know shit. The landlady didn't tell me.

"Here." You said as you gave him a spray with vinegar. He took it from your hand and sprayed a generous amount on the opened shower head. You saw how there were clumps of minerals stuck on the holes where water was supposed to pass through. "Is it necessary to clean that every month?"

"Well, maybe every 6 months. If you have so much time on your plate, then you can clean it every month." Kyungsoo glanced at you and to your table with laptop and papers. You looked away, cheeks blushing as you felt his observant stare. "Let's test it then."

After soaking the shower head in vinegar, he washed it meticulously before putting back the cover. He reached up to assemble it back to the holder. You were watching closely as he turned the knob—

"Kyungsoo-ssi!"

It seems that he forgot that he was still in the shower.

Your mouth gaped more as he blinked his wide eyes in surprise. His hand seemed to be frozen wrapped around on the knob, while his dark hair slowly became damp with the continuous flow of water from the shower head. You looked away as you saw his white shirt stuck to his body.

"Ehm, i-it seems it's working well now." You awkwardly said as he turned off the shower as if nothing happened. You quickly took a new towel from the sink cabinet and gave it to him. He still has his back turned on you. "Here's a towel, Kyungsoo-ssi. You might get sick."

When he heard his name, he instantly turned to you with his eyes averting yours as soon as he met them. He must be really embarrassed. You fought the urge to chuckle and just handed the towel to him with a smile. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

"I'll wait for you outside. Dry yourself up. Dryer's here." You looked at the left side of the bathroom and pointed at the dryer beside a cabinet. "I have a hair dryer under the sink too."

After that, you left him in the bathroom. You cleaned up the bathroom beforehand anyway, making sure that the private essentials were kept hidden and stored away. It was only 30 minutes since he started, and it wouldn't be appropriate if you served him tea at this time, right? You went to the refrigerator and saw that you still had one iced coffee in a can. You stopped by the oven and realized that you haven't eaten dinner yet.

"My mac and cheese." You gasped as you took it out from the oven, all cold and gloomy. "Let's just reheat it again." You shoved it back to the oven and timed it for 10 minutes. You heard the dryer work inside the bathroom and saw Kyungsoo peeking at the doorway. "Need something?"

"Do you have bug spray?"

You didn't expect him to ask that out of all the questions or requests he could have asked. Putting down the can on the counter, you went to the storage cabinet near the living room. You sighed in relief when you saw the bug spray.

"Here." You handed the spray to Kyungsoo, who was staring at the ceiling with wide eyes. You followed his gaze and saw a huge cockroach. "Oh shit."

"You should be really cleaning your bathroom, Eunjoo-ssi."

—

"I feel so dirty and ashamed."

Wonho chuckled as Hanbin continued to eat his hamburger. You were eating lunch with the two in Subway, which was a block away from the office, and you told them what happened last night. You took a bite of your chicken teriyaki sandwich, slowly savoring the taste as you reminisce.

"He's just advising you, as a plumber and a worker, to clean your bathroom. There's no shame on that—"

"He's basically telling me that I'm irresponsible!"

"Noona, you need to chill." Hanbin patted your shoulder as he drank his soda. "You said he was a nice guy, right? He gives freebies in the café across from our office, and he's even well-known among the old people."

Wonho just nodded in agreement as he sipped on his coffee. You munched on your sandwich with hesitation. Maybe you were overreacting, not used to having anyone judge your apartment or your bathroom at that.

"I would have laughed it off if it were me 'cause I know I can't clean my bathroom meticulously." He added with a grin, a smudge of mayonnaise plastered on his cheek. You threw him a sheet of tissue before eating again.

"Anyway, are you guys going to join the trip?" Wonho brought up the topic, making you groan. He shrugged. "Brings back a lot of bad memories, huh?"

"What happened? Is this the annual trip?" Hanbin raised his eyebrows as he wiped his cheeks.

"You were probably an intern back then. We went to Yongmeori beach before, and we all thought everything was prepared well." Wonho glanced at you. "Until Mr. Lee forgot to check the hotel he was supposed to have reserved."

"What? How's that even possible? This is a company trip, he should have been more aware." Hanbin looked so intrigued with his eyebrows furrowed while looking at Wonho. You sighed.

"He had a secretary before, who was loyal until that time. That secretary didn't actually reserve rooms for the hotel accommodation, probably because she was too angry with the boss. Everyone hates him, and we always wondered how that secretary stayed for 2 years." You finished your sandwich with the last bite after, watching how the young one widened his eyes.

"And then, since we didn't have hotel accommodations, and Mr. Lee's favorite back then was…" Wonho gestured his hand towards you, making Hanbin's mouth gaped. You rolled your eyes at his dramatic narration. "Nam Eunjoo."

"Heol. Noona carried the responsibility?!"

"Mr. Lee always had this impression about her that she was good at navigation and negotiation because she came from the province. A basic stereotype to be honest. Since he didn't have a secretary after his previous one resigned, Eunjoo took all the burdens off his hands." You tsked at yourself as you remembered how awful your boss was when his secretary went off. "She became known as the all-around girl in the office."

"It might sound really impressive, but being an all-around girl is not that pleasant. In the office, it just meant you're prone to Mr. Lee's unnecessary orders and lectures." You drank your iced coffee with a frown.

"Nam Eunjoo-ssi this. Nam Eunjoo that." Wonho imitated Mr. Lee's voice, his forehead wrinkling as he copied even the expression on his face. Hanbin laughed as he nodded in approval. "In the end, she was the one who successfully booked everyone in a hotel. She wasn't a local there, but Eunjoo has a way with her words and kind look—"

"Yah! Stop it now." You slapped Wonho's arm in annoyance as you stood up. "Lunch's over."

"Look at her, such a responsible—"

"I'm not listening to this."

You felt better after talking to your friends. To be honest, you didn't have any close friends from your university or highschool that you still talk to until now. It doesn't really help that you weren't raised in the city, or that you weren't very sociable like one who enjoys the nightlife. Sometimes, you felt like you were not fun to be with as you didn't know how people of this urban city made friends.

It's not like you went out of your apartment to meet people aside from work.

You can't even talk to your parents and sister without them bringing up money or how lucky you were to be living the dream. What's so special in the city anyway? You couldn't see it. If it were for your well-being only, you would choose to continue living in the province. Without the pollution, without the noisy streets, without the dense population, and without the pressure. You're sure you'd be more at peace without them messing up with your mental health.

You tucked in the freshly made bungeoppang inside the paper bag you were hugging before entering the café. You were welcomed by the smell of coffee and bread, and the calming instrumental music in the background. Walking towards the counter, you didn't see Kyungsoo anywhere, slightly disappointing you as you went here with an intention.

"Iced coffee with whipped cream, please. I'd like a slice of strawberry cheesecake as well." You ordered as you placed the money on the tray. The cashier repeated your order before taking the money. Your eyes were still subtly looking around, but you still couldn't see him.

You were already sitting on your usual seat and halfway to your cheesecake, but the guy that was supposed to be here was not around. Blowing a raspberry, you thought of how you bought these bread for him as thanks. After all, he just left after fixing your shower head.

Maybe I am too much? I should just probably eat these at home.

As soon as you finished your drink and snack, you went home without seeing Kyungsoo.

—

It was the weekend already, aka laundry day.

The apartment building didn't have its own laundry services, but it was close to one. You packed your week worth clothes and your bed sheets in a large bag at 6 am. After eating breakfast, you just took a shower and went out.

"After laundry, I'd clean the house and jog in the afternoon. Read my books, and watch my fave drama." You sang your schedule for the day as you walked out of the building with a smile. You were happy as you didn't take home any work for this weekend. Thankfully, it was quite light in the office.

The laundry shop was across the street and just a few buildings away. It was beside a few small businesses such as woodworking, convenience stores, and a bookstore. You opened the glass door with a struggle as you carried two bags, and sighed when you got in. There were only two people inside: the grandmother who was usually here, and the person in-charge at the counter.

"Goodmorning, halmeoni." You politely greeted with a smile. She turned to you with a pleasant smile and gestured at the washing machine next to hers.

"Goodmorning, Eunjoo-ah." She said in a loud voice. She was very lively despite her age, making you want to be livelier when talking to her. "You're early as usual. You know, you should sleep in when it's the weekend, honey. You always work hard."

"I sleep well when it's Friday, so it's okay if I get up early. It's the weekend, and I should get the most out of it, right?" You chuckled as she shook her head. "It makes me happy to clean up and just do my hobbies on Saturdays. Sleep is awesome, but I want to be a little bit productive when I have my free time, you know."

"You're just too diligent, you can't stay still and rest. Just like this boy I met last week, he's working on at least 5 part-time jobs. No matter what I say, he just doesn't listen to this concerned old lady." She sat back on the bench as she waited for her laundry, while you started placing your clothes on the machine next to hers. You sorted the pants and tops, and planned to take the other machine for the bed sheets. "He comes here on the weekend too, just not sure if he'll come in the morning as he has a part-time job. He's just too busy that I can't keep up with his schedule."

"He must be a student then, or like me?" Wanting to continue the conversation with the talkative old lady, you asked.

"No, he's not a student. Ah! He is totally like you. You took on many part-time jobs before too when you got to the city, right?" The old lady's eyes lighted up as she clapped her hands, surprising you. You glanced at her, chuckling at the excitement in her tone. "He's from the province too. I just forgot where he came from, hm. Oh!"

"You must really like this boy, halmeoni." You continued to shove in the rest of the clothes before closing the washer's cover.

"Kyungsoo-ah! I thought you wouldn't come. I was waiting."

As soon as you closed the cover, you stood face to face with the guy you've searched for at the café. He was wearing a striped flannel polo shirt and a plain black shirt. His hair was a bit messy, but he still looked pretty good.

Pretty good, huh, Eunjoo.

"Halmeoni, you just get up too early." He spoke in a deep voice. It sounded as if he just woke up. It was warm and pleasant to listen to as usual though. "Eunjoo-ssi, you're here as well."

"Oh, oh, oh! Do you two know each other?" The old lady asked in a teasing tone as she pointed at the two of you, her eyes turning into crescent moons. "That's good!"

"Uh, I met him at the café he was working at, just right across my workplace." You awkwardly nodded at Kyungsoo as a greeting as you shoved a few coins on the machine before clicking on the washer's button. Kyungsoo just placed his bag on the washing machine across yours. "He's also a plumber at my apartment building. It's a pretty small world."

"Hmm, I call it destiny." The old lady giggled as she quickly stood up from her seat. She slowly walked to the vending machine nearby with a smile, which was clearly suspicious. "I'll just get coffee while waiting. Just talk among yourselves, okay?"

She was already skipping her way to the counter before you could even respond.

"She's quite loud, huh?" You almost jumped at the voice, not expecting Kyungsoo to speak first. Not knowing what to do, you just sat at the bench as he placed his things inside the washer. "She talks as if tomorrow wouldn't come, but she's probably just enjoying talking to everyone she knows because she's lonely at home."

"Yeah, she told me her daughter has her own family. She's the only one left at their house." You glanced at the peeking old lady by the vending machine, she quickly hid again. You chuckled. "Sometimes, I think I'm the older one between the two of us. She's filled with so much light and youthful thoughts. She's surely more fun than me."

"Couldn't agree more."

Your eyes snapped back to him. He was already staring at you with his big eyes. They were shining and curious. It was hypnotizing. You blinked it away before you could feel more shy.

"You just always looked stressed when you were at the café." He continued as he closed the cover. He clicked on a button before leaning on the machine, turning to you. "You always look at the window, eyebrows furrowing as if you were drowning yourself with your thoughts. Well, I thought it was common for the city people."

"That's a stereotype, but I couldn't disagree." You laughed, making him chuckle. "My workplace is basically right in front of the café, so where else would I feel more stressed? Just looking at the building makes me think of my boss' face."

"You got a point there." He said.

"What about you? I heard that you work at least 5 part-time jobs?" You casually asked as you leaned back on the bench. "That must be hard."

Kyungsoo looked down at his feet as his hand combed his hair swiftly.

"It was hard at first, but I got used to it, I guess."

What he said was very familiar as you have probably told that to yourself a number of times before. You smiled bitterly with that thought in mind. You could hear his deep sigh as he sat next to you.

It was like you were already comfortable with each other. With just a few words told to each other, you felt as if you knew him already.

"That's what I've always said to myself, you know."

"Yeah?"

"But it's always difficult." Your voice wasn't soft, and it surely wasn't comforting. You didn't dare to look at Kyungsoo, scared that his eyes will see more than what you show on the surface. "I mean, it might seem like it's getting easier as time passes by, but in reality, you're just becoming numb. You just feel less, and more empty."

Silence came after you said that.

Kyungsoo didn't utter a single word.

Maybe I said too much. I was too emotional. I shouldn't have said such depressing thoughts.

"I bought you two a can of coffee. I hope I'm not disturbing." The old lady came back with cans in her hands. You gratefully took one and moved on the other side of the bench to give her space in the middle. She instantly talked to Kyungsoo, asking him about anything. You didn't really care.

An hour passed and you were almost done with your dirty laundry. The old lady already left, leaving the two of you in silence. You thanked the heavens as soon as the last batch was finished. You took them out of the washer and placed them back on the bag. Kyungsoo was sitting on the bench, making you feel a bit conscious for no reason.

"I understand."

You halted on zipping the bag as you heard his voice.

"What you said earlier, I understand your sentiment. I'm not saying that I have felt that way before, but it's valid." He spoke carefully as if walking on thin ice that might break if he takes a wrong step.

You smiled as you zipped your bag.

"Yeah, thanks for listening, Kyungsoo-ssi."

You walked away from him, feeling a bit lighter with what he said. You opened the glass door carefully, but was still struggling until a hand pushed the glass door back to help you open it fully. The smell of coffee and wood was familiar as it was a pleasant combination in your favorite place of comfort.

"I'm not too sure about earlier by the way." He said in a low voice as you got out of the laundry shop. You turned to him in confusion, wondering why he is making this conversation harder to end. He was leaning on the door frame, keeping the door open as he talked.

"About what?"

"About Mrs. Kim being more fun than you." Kyungsoo's lips slightly curved as he looked away. Your cheeks slightly warmed, your hands gripping your bag handles tighter. "Tell me about it next time."

He is basically asking you to tell more about yourself, so he will be more certain about his point. You came up with this lousy excuse as you kept your face straight. Your cheeks were trembling as you fought the smile creeping up your lips.

I'd like that, Kyungsoo-ssi.

"Well, I hope you won't fall asleep when I do."

"I have a feeling that I won't."

— ☘ —

A/N:

I want to know what you think! Tell me anything, I'd appreciate it.

Have a great day today! :>

☘ Ch.4

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jasontoddiefor · 3 years

Text

Title: nothing to mourn or miss Ship: Poker pair Summary: The only thing connecting little Cornelia Walker to Tyki Mikk was the mop of dark hair. A year after his Master's letter had been sent to the Black Order, Allen Walker arrived at their Headquarters, carrying a newborn on his back. AN: I just want trans Allen fanfics. Let’s see where this fanfic will go!

Lavi’s greatest gift had always been his observation skills. Growing up on the streets (in a different city, under another name), he’d had to be clever and aware to ensure he wouldn’t starve to death or be killed. Bookman, of course, had taken the ability to a whole new level, ensuring that Lavi wouldn’t miss even a single detail. Lavi was pretty sure that if there was a way to keep from blinking for the rest of his life, Bookman would force him to learn that as well.

Regardless, his skill was why he knew Krory had to be in the next train wagon. It was the last possible option, given that the vampiric Exorcist hadn’t been in any of the others. The situation, once they found him, was pretty easy to break down. He’d gotten cheated out of his clothes and money by three traveling vagabonds and a sickly-looking child; tuberculosis if Lavi were to guess. They looked rough as if the gentleness was seldom shown to them. From their hands and posture, Lavi deduced they worked in the mines or a similar taxing job.

That was as far as Lavi got with his observation before another one took him by surprise.

“Allen!” the boy shouted and promptly threw himself at said young man.

Here was the thing about Allen Walker: He was lithe in build, small, but he knew how to present himself. Lavi looked at him and knew what he kept hidden, yet it was not a lie because everything about Allen Walker screamed that he was a young man. He’d never said a word about whether he’d learned from his deceased father or his Master, but Allen knew how to navigate society, which social cues to react to or ignore.

Allen often kept people at a distance to keep up appearances and live his life as he wanted. Lavi, personally, was a massive fan of invading people’s personal space. He’d learned to do so early for various reasons, and with time passing, Allen started to allow Lavi in his bubble. But always, he was careful, hesitating, bracing himself for interaction.

And yet, somehow, this protection was disregarded without a second thought. Allen wasn’t taken aback by the boy jumping him but reacted on instinct and caught the boy. Were the child smaller, Lavi would think it was because of Cornelia, but no, the boy was much older than Allen’s daughter.

And here it was, the second clue:

“Eeez!” Allen said. “What are you doing here?”

“Traveling to a new job!” Eeez replied in rapid-fire Portuguese that, had Lavi not spent a year in the country, he wouldn’t have been able to understand a word. “You’re pretty far from your usual roads,” Allen replied only and set the boy down again. “But I see, your cheating habits haven’t changed at all.”

“You’ve always been the worst cheat,” the man towards the right replied, causing the one on the outmost left to laugh in agreement.

The two seemed good-natured if a little tired. They were comfortable around Allen, studied him briefly as if to check he was doing well, eating enough or so. Anyone who knew Allen well enough to greet him so heartedly had to be aware of his metabolism and with this group struggling for money, it was no surprise they worried about food.

But it wasn’t quite the two men or the boy that drew Lavi’s attention.

No, it was the man in the middle.

Thick glasses obscured his eyes, but his hair was curly and dark, the kind that Lavi knew from experience was fun to run your hand through.

How well exactly did Allen Walker know this man and how much did he care to keep such large secrets?

“Are you going to join us, menino?” the man asked. “Your friend has lost a few things, I believe.”

Allen grinned triumphantly, but his hand twitched all the same, betraying his lie. He was nervous, shaken by this confrontation, and were he anyone else, words about little princesses in high towers, bright gray eyes looking up from the Branch Chief’s lap, and bets on milestones would soon spill out of his mouth.

“Allen,” Krory finally spoke up, still sniffling. “Do you know these men?”

“Yes,” Allen replied, shaking himself from stupor. “We traveled together for a while after Master Cross had dumped me. They’re friends.”

Just friends? Lavi wondered. From the looks of it, he was not the only one. The boy, Eeze, narrowed his eyes, glancing between Tyki and Allen. Whatever they had, it hadn’t been that casual. The result was currently crawling around HQ, after all.

“This is Momo, Crack, and Glasses in the middle—”

“You wound me.”

“Is Tyki Mikk.”

Tyki was not a name whose origin Lavi could place easily. He’d assumed that Cornelia had been picked because it was a fairly common British name and sounded well with the small family’s last name.

Cornelia Walker wasn’t even a year old yet, and thus Lavi quietly found himself doing the math. Cross’s letter had announced only Allen’s arrival and been dated about a year before Allen had actually managed to arrive at the Order. He knew that Lenalee thought Allen had been sent to the Order because of Cornelia, so she’d be safe while Allen killed Akuma.

Never mind that nobody expected Cross to be a capable guardian for a newborn. People had been fascinated enough with the fact he’d managed to raise a teenager.

The only thing connecting little Cornelia to Tyki Mikk was the mop of dark hair. Otherwise, she was entirely Allen’s baby, from the pale complexion to the eyes and… Before meeting this Tyki, Lavi had assumed that she had Allen’s nose, but it actually resembled Tyki’s more closely. Still following through with his conclusions, Lavi pretended to be shocked at Allen’s gambling skills, the way he won back Krory’s clothes and dignity before stripping his old friends of theirs.

“Royal Straight Flush,” Allen announced once more with a smile as the others tossed their cards, not at all angry, more amused.

“They’re used to this,” Eeez said, this time in English. It was accentuated but still pretty good. Lavi could hear the same kind of pitter-patter pronunciation Allen sometimes fell back on when he was careless or exhausted. He must have taught the boy how to speak the language. How curious, it spoke for longer exposure to Allen. This definitely added to Lavi’s growing suspicion that Allen hadn’t just taken the long way round to the Order.

As did the fond glances Allen couldn’t keep off his face.

He could have stayed with this group. They were obviously aware of Allen’s status, but they seemed to have no trouble with it. Without needing to pay off his Master’s debt, Allen could earn enough to settle down somewhere. If they stayed near a mining town, the group wouldn’t even have to break up or work in a different branch.

There’d be no little niece for Komui to fuss over or dress up in her father’s absence. The Order would have remained entirely unaware of Allen Walker’s presence until someday along the way, somebody would dig out the one letter Cross had hurriedly written. And by then, they’d have assumed that Allen Walker had died on his way to the Order. Despite the tension of Allen’s shoulder, he was obviously at ease with this group, was at home, whereas he still hadn’t settled completely at the Order.

He could have abandoned the Akuma for them, this odd broken little family, but he hadn’t. The Destroyer of Time had marched on, wrapped his new gift up in cuddly blankets and climbed up a mountain.

Perhaps Lavi should tell him of the Order’s gruesome history, its horrible present. Would the boy have chosen to take his daughter there if he knew what lingered behind the black walls? Lavi had no doubt that if someone else sat in Komui’s office, little Cornelia would be tested weekly for resonance with an Innocence piece given that her father was an Accommodator. Then again, that doll that acted as her babysitter had taken a liking to her and Lavi doubted it was just because of the sentience it possessed.

The train ride passed in relative peace despite the gambling with the miners talking of their travels and Allen returning with stories of his own, carefully modified to leave out any signs of Akuma or his daughter.

He had no intention of telling them.

Lavi’s job was to record history, not to teach it.

He didn’t have to tell them either. Most likely, this encounter would remain a footnote in Allen Walker’s biography.

The odd group had to leave the train before them, and their goodbyes were sweet and kind, warmer and lingering, a farewell that nobody wanted. Eeez hugged Allen once more and Momo and Crack both gave Allen a nudge and tousled his hair fondly.

When it came to Tyki, Lavi paid attention. Accommodator yet or not, someday Cornelia’s history might become relevant, and they’d need all the details.

“Take good care of yourself, menino,” Tyki said, making no move to embrace Allen, touch him in any way. How curious that he’d chosen distance when he so obviously wanted to reach for the opposite. Lavi had seen a hundred stories like this already, how bitter love like this must be.

At moments like this, Lavi was glad that he was forever exempt from such heartbreak.

“I’m not the one always on the road, running off doing odd jobs,” Allen countered with a soft smile, a joke that failed to hide any of the pain. “Take care of yourself as well.”

The group left the train, and it was only as the machine was already departing that Tyki tossed something at Allen, the same playing cards they’d used earlier. Lavi watched quietly as Allen looked through the cards until melancholy turned his lips upwards.

“Hearts this time,” Allen muttered under his breath, likely not meant to be picked up by Lavi’s ears.

He packed the cards into the pocket of his coat and wrapped it tightly around his body as if to keep out the imaginary cold. When Allen looked up, his eyes fixed on Lavi, he seemed torn between determination and desperation.

“Don’t tell anyone,” Allen said, or perhaps ordered. “Please.”

So it hadn’t gone unnoticed that Lavi had uncovered his little secret.

Checking that Krory was still out of earshot, busy carrying their luggage to this empty compartment, Lavi chose to engage. “Why not tell him?”

Allen shrugged, then smiled just a bit pained. “His world is different from ours. They don’t have much cash, so I wouldn’t dump a child on them, and it would be careless to ask Tyki, and the others by extension, to step into the nightmare that is our reality. It’s better this way.”

Lavi hummed in agreement, thinking on the report he’d make to Bookman. Allen Walker, despite his cheerful optimism, could be quite realistic, almost painfully so.

They didn’t tell the families of their Finders about the deceased either.

Ignorance, wounding as it might be, left you with nothing to mourn or miss.

(Later, bound to a chair, the Fourth Apostle screaming at him, Lavi would remember his past assessment and laugh at his naivete.)

#allen walker #tyki mikk #poker pair #dgm #lavi #d gray man #fanfic

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fanaticfangirl001 · 3 years

Text

Lab Rat

Author’s note: Y/DOB- Your Date of Birth

Some say that the downfall of man is hubris. Lab Rat disagrees. She thinks that it’s curiosity. Curiosity led to Father’s experiments, poking and prodding as she grew up, recreating the serum and studying the effects on the subject growing up with the serum. If the program proved successful could create a whole generation of super soldiers, correcting the sterilization of the original. The disgraced doctor was successful but soon ran low on funds. At age five, Lab Rat read her own name, Y/n L/N and Y/DOB on a series of government papers. Desperate for funds, he sold her to the Power Broker.

Now she sits in the lab of Dr. Nagel, the Power Broker’s official researcher. The Doctor claims his serum is the perfect one, more subtle. Lab Rat disagrees, but keeps her thoughts to herself. Speaking out of turn resulted in a loss of food, as did asking questions. A lot of actions lead to food being taken away: escaping restraints, reading, not cooperating. Dr. Nagel preferred to keep the experiment in a constant sway between hunger and exhaustion. Less problems to deal with as she’s quiet when unconscious.

Y/n struggles to lift her head up and sip from the bottle. With hands shaking she laps up the water trying not to spill it on herself. The calendar across the room reads Y/DOB. Her eyes adjust to the light.

“I’m coming home baby, now” Dr. Nagel sings to himself.

Her stomach rumbles loudly.

“Food.” Lab Rat grunts rubbing her eyes.

“Do Do Do.” Dr. Nagel scats not paying attention to Lab Rat.

“Food!” She repeats louder, taking a risk, if he’s to kill her it would be prefered more than this continued treatment.

Dr. Nagel ignores her screams. Lab Rat lays down waiting for the familiar feeling of her eyes being heavy and the room beginning to spin. She sees three men enter the room and looks wide eyed at them. Lab Rat sits up and pushes herself to the corner. The restraints pull against her arms, pinning her in place.

“Dr. Nagel?”

“Who are you?What do you want?”

“We know you created the serum.”

“Get out of my lab!”

As two men question the doctor, a third stays behind with Lab Rat.

She’s shaking bracing herself for any harm to come. Sometimes others would visit the lab, and they weren’t the nicest.

“Liebling, are you hurt?” The man in a fur coat kneels down beside her.

“No..food.”

“We should get these restraints off you, first then food.”

Lab Rat looks at her hands then shakily bends the restraints off the wall and breaks the wrist shackles off, then her feet.

“Very strong, Libeling.” The man rummages in his coat and pulls out a candy. “ This is all I have right now.”

Lab Rat looks questioningly at the man before unwrapping the sweet and popping it into her mouth, the powdered sugar covering her lips. Zemo offers Y/n his arm and steadies the shakily legged woman as the two join Sam and Bucky.

“Not to interrupt but I found someone.” Zemo gestures towards Y/n.

His hand leaves her and she nearly falls.

“You know who this is right, This is Baron Zemo. I know you’ve heard of him, too, right? You seem like a pretty smart guy. So you better become conversational real quick.”

“How about a counter proposal? Make me a better offer and I’ll talk.

“Guys we have company.”

Bucky takes his gun and shoots near the Doctor’s head.

“Okay. Okay. I was brought into HYDRA’s Winter Soldier program to pick up their work after the five failed test subjects in Siberia. When HYDRA fell, I was recruited by the CIA. They had blood samples from an American test subject with semi-stable traces of serum in his system. After much labor, I was able to isolate the necessary compounds in his blood. I was a god. I did what no other scientist since Erskine was able to do. But mine was going to be different. No clunky machines or jacked up bodies. Mine was going to be subtle, optimized, perfect.”

“And the woman?” Sam asks.

“Not my serum,but she’s a gift from the Power Broker.”

At the mention of the Power Broker, Lab Rat bristles and stalks towards the Doctor. Zemo gently grabs her shoulder.

“How have we never heard of this?”

“Because… Before I was able to complete my work, I turned to dust. Then when I returned, it was five years later, program had been abandoned, so I came here. The Power Broker was more than happy to fund the recreation of my work.”

“How many vials did you make?

“Twenty. Karli Morgenthau stole those, so… I can only imagine what the Power Broker has planned for that poor girl.”

“Where is Karli now?” Sam asks.

“Not my pig, not my farm.”

The gun fire outside gets louder. Lab Rat shakily grabs at Zemo’s arm.

“Is there any serum in the lab?” Bucky asks then raising his gun again.

“No.”

“Now what.”

“Guys we’re seriously out of time.” Sharon runs in.

Zemo shoots Dr.Nagel in the head.

“No! What did you do!” Sam yells at Zemo.

An explosion sends Sam, Bucky and Sharon on one side of the container. Zemo and the new woman on the other.

Zemo grabs Y/n and runs out clouded by the smoke.

“Anybody see Zemo?” Sam asks running with Bucky and Sharon.

“No but he has a super soldier as a hostage. We gotta find her, she could help us.” Bucky answers.

“I take it Liebling, that you are enhanced.” Zemo looks behind to her following him.

Lab Rat nods catching her breath from the running.

“Once we are safe you can have any food you want.”Zemo offers.

“Food.”

“Yes, food. Follow me.”

“Okay.”

The two of them begin to clear a way for Sam and Bucky. Zemo detonates an explosive while the other woman knocks the men out, she grabs one’s gun and hits him with the butt of it before shooting others.

“She’s definitely a super-soldier. Go, let’s go.” Bucky adds telling Sharon and Sam to go thanks to their clearing the way.

“What is your name?” Lab Rat asks as the two stop by a shipping container.

“Helmut, Zemo.” He takes off his purple mask. “And your’s.”

“Lab Rat, but it’s Y/n. No one has ever called me Y/n though.”

“ Well Y/n, pick a color: yellow, blue or red.”

After some thought Y/n replies “ Blue.”

“Hop in.” Zemo opens the storage container and inside sits a blue vintage car.

Y/n hops in the car and the two ride it out of the unit and round the corner stopping in front of Sam, Bucky, and Sharon.

“Supercharged.”

“You’re going back to jail.”

“Do you want to find Karli or not?”

“He’s right. We need him. And there’s two of us and twenty of them.”

“There is another super soldier, this is Y/n.” Zemo gestures towards her.

“Hello, I’d be willing to help on one condition.” Y/n adds.

“What is it?” Bucky asks.

“You two help me find the Power Broker.”

“Sure.” Bucky agrees.

“What are you going to do once we find him.” Sam asks.

“Kill him.”

“I like your style.” Zemo smiles at her.

“Ambitious.” Sharon notes. “ Anyway that was one hell of a reunion.”

“Come back to the states with us.”

“I told you I can’t. Just get me what you promised me.”

On the plane Y/n sits further from the three men. It’s all starting to hit her that she ran off with strangers. The stranger in fur, Helmut Zemo gave her a candy. Technically he isn’t much of a stranger if she knows his name. The stranger with the metal arm stares at her for too long, and the stranger with short dark hair hasn’t said much to her.

“Eat.” Zemo puts a muffin in front of her and a bottle of mineral water.

“How long were you with Nagel?” Sam asks.

“I don’t remember, a while.” Y/n says, tearing into the muffin. She ravenously eats the muffin.

“And you took the serum.” Sam confirms.

“Not much of a choice.” Y/n shrugs and says through mouthfuls of muffin.

#Baron Zemo x reader #Baron Zemo imagines #Helmut zemo x reader

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stillebesat · 4 years

Text

Scales (5/7)

Sanders Sides: Logan, Deceit, Virgil, Roman, Patton Blurb: Deceit hadn’t expected his absence from the Mindscape to be noticed by the others…until Logic knocked on his door. Fic Type: General Warnings: Shedding (snake style), Minor Injuries, Minor Pain, Touch Starvation, Death Talk Taglist in Reblog.

To Catch Up: Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3

His scales?

But...but HOW?!

Deceit shot to his feet before Logan could stop him, growling under his breath as his vision briefly blurred, but he couldn’t just sit still for this! “That’s impossible. HOW?!” He stumbled away from the others as Logic reached for him, instead heading to the window, wishing the sun was up so he could at least feel its heat through the glass.

“Kiddo,” Patton had also moved to his feet, hands outstretched. “Perhaps you should sit back dow--”

“But it doesn’t make sense! Nothing’s changed!” Deceit ignored Morality’s advice, continuing to shakily pace the floor. “My scales have never changed like that before! They should still be snake scales! They’ve always been--”

He flinched at the electric touch lightly wrapping around his left wrist, forcing him to stop before he antagonized the scales there. He jerked his head up, wobbling as he struggled to breathe, his human eye focusing on Anxiety.

“It’s obvious what’s going on isn’t it?” Virgil said, the shadows under his eyes pitch black. “It’s because you’ve been--”

Deceit hissed, going stiff. “Don’t you dare say accepted.” Just because they considered him to be Fa--Family didn’t mean that--that Thomas--He was a DARK SIDE for crying out loud! A BAD GUY. You don’t get accepted for being that after a simple name reveal!

...Right?

Virgil huffed, letting go. “When did you last shed? Before or after you told us we could call you Lyal?”

Deceit gritted his teeth lightly brushing his wrist to ensure the shed there was alright. It wasn’t like he could lie though, Logan already knew the answer. “...Before.”

“And what changed afterwards?” Roman asked, a small smile playing on his lips, his eyes nearly glowing like they did whenever his Creativity was sparked.

Deceit looked away. “You...invited me--”

“To dinner!” Patton said, clapping his hands together. “We started including you more.”

“And you said yourself that you experience changes in your shed when Thomas is experiencing a period of growth himself and we are all a part of Thomas are we not?” Logan asked, resting a hand on Deceit’s non-scaled shoulder. “Ergo, Thomas is growing to accept you because we are including you. It is a major change, Lyal.”

“But...dragon scales?” He whispered, allowing his shaky legs to collapse him to the floor. He half curled in a ball as Logan knelt with him. “I--I---” It was too much. It couldn’t---he couldn’t!

“They’re not all bad you know. I mean…It probably doesn’t mean much coming from me since I...well...fight them.” Roman said, carefully brushing Deceit’s scaled cheek with his fingers, leaving burning fire in their wake. “But she--the Dragon Witch--she does have her moments of...of being okay on occasion and you’re-” He gently rubbed his thumb under Deceit’s unblinking eye. “Probably more like Toothless than Smaug.”

Logan raised his eyebrows. “Toothless? But Lyal obviously still has all his tee--”

“He means Dee’s like the Dragon named Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon, L.” Virgil interrupted. “With how he appears all dangerous at first...but turns out to be--”

No, no no! Deceit did not like where this metaphor was going. He bared his teeth, raising his human hand, ready to grab at the air though that hand had never been as good as his scaled one in silencing the others. “Call me soft and or cute Annie, and you’ll--”

“Not be making threats right now, LyLy.” Patton scolded, shaking a bright yellow finger in front of his scaled eye. “We need to solve one problem, not cause more.”

“Agreed.” Logan said, adjusting his glasses. “Which means, we need to listen to Roman in order to help you. If your scales have changed to dragon scales then by all means he would know best on how to have us help you.”

“Us.” Deceit echoed faintly, dropping his hand “But--”

“We’re family.” Logan said, his eyes glittering with careful humor as Deceit made a face.

They really needed to stop using that word in relation to him. He wasn’t--

“And FamILY sticks together!” Patton declared. “Ro, how do you help the Dragon Witch? What do we need to do for Ly?”

“But what if this is wrong?! What if it--” Deceit drew in a shuddering breath, ducking his head. “It could go wrong.” He whispered, leaning into Logan. “You don’t know--I’m not a Dragon Witch, I can’t--”

“Lyal.”

Despite himself, the tone of Roman’s voice had Deceit looking to the Creative Side as he placed a hand on his heart, holding his other one out to him.

“On my honor as a Prince and as Thomas’s Creativity, I promise, you won’t be harmed.” Roman offered him a smile that was softer, somehow more vulnerable than he’d seen on the Creative Side before. “I know what I’m doing.”

How could he promise that?! They were going off the assumption that Deceit’s scales worked in the same way as a figment in the Imagination! It wasn’t going to--

“After all…” Roman pulled back his hand to run his fingers through his hair, messing up the princey styling as he fidgeted in place. “I did...I did base her off you--you know--since--well you are--were? A bad guy.”

Patton gasped, eyes going wide. “You did?!”

Roman flushed, “I was twelve okay? I was mad at Fibber on the Roof here for something I can’t even remember now so I--I created--her based off of you, but I didn’t know that you had snake scales and dragons were so much cooler! So--so there has to be some truth to your scales working the same way as hers.” Roman offered him a shaky smile. “Right?”

Deceit opened his mouth to deny it, but he didn’t know what to say. Hadn’t his own words confirmed his scales were no longer snake ones? Hadn’t his room had betrayed him in the humidity not helping him? And Creativity--Roman was confident about this...this dragon process.

But what if it all went WRONG?! What if he lost his hand because of this! Or his eye?! He was already a freak among them. He was already--

“How about a small test.” Logan offered into the silence as Deceit continued to hesitate. “Perhaps a small spot on your shoul--”

“NO.” Deceit drew in a shuddering breath as the others stiffened. “I--I mean--yes.” He had to get the shed off somehow. “To the test. But not there. Not my arm.”

He needed his arm and if this didn’t work he didn’t want to chance losing any mobility there that he hadn’t already possibly lost. “Ro--” He swallowed over the lump of terror stuck in his throat. “Roman can--try it here.” He pushed away from Logan, though the Logical Side refused to fully release him, and gestured to his side, holding his arm out and away to give Creativity access to the area. No one ever saw him shirtless anyways, so if--if this didn’t work, it wouldn’t be a big deal to have the scales be malformed there.

“I can work with that.” Roman offered him a more confident smile as he snapped his fingers and held out his hand, a pile of opalescent dust appearing in his palm. “Usually the Dragon Witch just buries herself first and I help out later, but overall it’s a simple process for a little test.” He said. “I just press this against your side--”

“This being?” Virgil asked, shoving his hands into his hoodie pockets.

“Volcanic ash.” Roman said. “It draws out the moisture from the shed. Once it’s dry and flaky, we use some brushes to remove it and then a cloth with some mineral oil to shine the new scales right up. Easy.”

Easy enough. Deceit drew in a shaky breath, closing his human eye though his snake one remained fixed on Roman’s brightly burning hand as it neared his side. He really hoped this would work. “Do it.”

“Gently.” Logan cautioned, shifting his position so he was fully behind Deceit. A slight pressure on his shoulders urging him to lean back against his chest.

Patton took Deceit’s human hand squeezing it. “You’re gonna be okay, LyLy.” He whispered.

Still. Deceit couldn’t help but flinch as Roman pressed the dust against his side, near his navel, his breath hitching at the warmth emanating from the spot. Much warmer than he expected it to feel.

Virgil’s vibrant heat signature leaned forward. “How long does it take to know if it’s working?”

“Not long.” Roman reassured him. “Give it a minute.”

A minute. Deceit opened his human eye staring down at the spot, trying to ignore how hard his heart was pounding, how tightly he was squeezing Patton’s hand. A minute to know when it had taken him six days to realize something was wrong. A minute to discover if this volcanic ash would help him or--he didn’t want to think of the or.

“And--” Roman relaxed his hand, allowing the ash to fall away from the shed and onto the carpet.

Deceit made a soft sound in the back of his throat as he released Patton’s hand to gingerly touch the spot, warm now from the pressure Roman had placed on it, but no longer was the same shade of sickly green as the rest of his shed. Instead it had blackened like burned timber.

Was that good? Was it bad? While it did feel unnaturally warmer, the spot wasn’t itching like past shed periods to indicate that it was ready. So this had to be bad. The scales had o be ruined there now! It hadn’t worked! IT HADN--”

“Dee.” Virgil’s voice interrupted his spiraling thoughts, causing him to look up.

Anxiety’s eyeshadow had darkened again, to the same shade as the spot as he pulled Deceit’s hand away from his side. “Breathe.”

BREATHE? Deceit inhaled raggedly, clutching at Annie as Roman quickly brought a small currying brush up to his burning side, gently massaging the spot in small circles.

“That’s normal, Lion King. I promise. The skin always gets darker, the Ash--it makes it darker. It’s fine. It’s fine. I promise. It’s normal.” Creativity said as flakes of skin fell away under his careful movements.

Deceit tensed, pressing against Logan, a soft hiss escaping him as he watched Roman work. This hardly felt normal. It felt all WRONG! Normally the shed just...peeled off. It didn’t flake like this!

“Nothing’s gone wrong, Lyal. It’s working exactly like it does for the Dragon Witch.” Roman continued to reassure him, flashing him a smile as the brush changed to a cloth that he carefully rubbed along the spot. “See?” He pulled away, revealing a set of brand new scales gleaming under the light.

To Be Continued Chapter 5

#Scales #stillebesat #Sanders Sides #Deceit #Logan #Roman #Virgil #Patton #Logic #Creativity #Anxiety #Morality #shedding tw #minor injuries tw #minor pain tw #touch starvation tw #death talk tw

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eyitsroseau · 4 years

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Across the World Part 1 (Dr. Xeno dad! x Reader) Dr. Stone fanfic | A mini-series

This will be in two or three parts. I don't know yet. But I hope you like it!

Part 2

Part 3

In which you found out you were pregnant pre-petrification to your long time boyfriend NASA scientist, Xeno. However, when you told him the news, he wanted nothing to do with it because his top priority is his research. Hurt, you decided to find refuge and start anew in the country you have always wanted to live in, Japan. Post-petrification and Senku announced they'll be traveling to America. As you have lived there before, they took you and your one-year-old daughter along. Now, thousands of years later, you'll find yourself face to face with the man who had hurt you the most across the world.

"Hey, babe?" Your nervousness seeped out of your body and your trembling hands are the evidence.

"Yeah? Look, my mentee from Japan messaged me. Looks like he's building a rocket again. Hmmm. All he needs is niobium-alloy nozzle..." he replied, giving you his divided attention. Again.

"Uh, babe?" You said a little louder this time. Sensing your urgency, he sighed and faced you fully.

"What is it?"

"This may sound shocking but, I'm... pregnant," you finally announced, clutching at the hem of your shirt while you waited for his reply.

You know this is unexpected but he'll take responsibility, right? Right? But the nagging gut-feel inside you knows what his answer will be.

With a straight unforgiving face he replied,

"I don't want it."

Remember that pain. Remember the hardships you went through. Remember how you wanted to go far away from the man that hurt you the most. Remember how he never contacted you even a year later. Remember how he didn't even ask for your child- the daughter he never got to meet.

Your daughter, oh God, your daughter! Never forget the way her eyes glimmer when she's with you. Never forget the smiles and giggles she reserves for you. Never forget how she nuzzled you on her first birthday. Never forget the time when you are taking her for a walk near a high school and suddenly you saw a blinding light which rendered you motionless.

Remember those memories again and again. Don't you ever dare forget any little details. No matter how much time passes, always remember.

Never forget.

Suddenly, you feel something cracking. And for the first time in what feels like forever, you can see the light. Your eyes widened when you see trees surrounding you. Not only that but the stone that seemed to cover your body begin to crumble. Little by little, you are gaining back your motility, and you have never felt so refreshed.

When you are finally free, you stood with shaking legs while scanning the area. Where are you? Are you still in Japan? How many years have passed?

Then, something hits you. Where is your daughter? Oh my god! Where is she? She couldn't be separated from you right? You have held her tightly when you saw that light. Panic and worry surged through you and you were about to set out and find her when you heard a familiar song.

Snapping your attention to where the noise came from, you realized that it was the lullaby you have always sang to your daughter, Xenka. Your feet had already started moving before you can register anything.

Alas, there in the middle of the forest, your daughter sat in front of a bonfire, grilling what appeared to be mushrooms. Taken a back, you only stared in shock when Xenka finally looked at you and the widest grin you have ever seen has graced her little face.

"Mama! You're back!"

You can't still wrap around the fact that your one-year-old daughter is facing you right now while talking about what she thought happened. Yes, your lovely Xenka who has not even said her first word before is now talking and had even made her own fire. Plus, she said she has been surviving for a week on her own.

"Sweetie, tell mama what happened when you're still a sto-"

"Mama, the perfect term is petrified! I told you I saw it in the dictionary, right?" your daughter pouted while crossing her chubby arms.

You chuckled. This situation is absurd but what can you expect from Xeno's blood daughter?

"Right, right. I apologize. Xenka-chan what happened to you when you are petrified?"

"I remembered I was really scared, mama! But you hugged me and told me to remember. But, I don't know what you meant so I remembered and studied again the words you taught me. I even memorized the books that I used to play with," she started. Well, what you were trying to say was that she has to remember that you love her. And the books she mentioned were from your roommate who is a researcher in the field of astrophysics and chemistry. You can also remember how Xenka used to scan your biology books.

You are surprised to hear that she basically became a genius over time. But to be honest you are not that surprised. She is Xeno's daughter after all.

A slight pang hit your chest when bitter memories started to fill your mind. As sudden as those memories come, they instantly go away when you feel your daughter sitting on your lap and cuddling you.

"I miss you so much, mama! You didn't hug me back when I awoke!" Her cries echoed through the vast forest and you can't help but to tear up also.

Your biggest fear is the thought that you lost her. Fortunately, your daughter is smart enough to survive on her own even just for a week. You cried with her as relief washed over you.

She must have been so afraid of being alone. And so, you let her wail for hours. It's alright, after all she's still a child. You held her close while whispering words of reassurance that from now on, you won't be separated anymore.

Once the two of you calmed down, Xenka reported that she saw what appears to be a tower when she was scouting the area. And with that, the two of you began your journey. But first, you have to make DIY clothes or else you'll walk in naked if there really is people around.

The stone statues that litter the forest is a little creepy. It reminded you of that village in Japan famous for their stone statues. It took you a day to finally arrive at your destination. That must mean that Xenka has wandered far from where you were depetrified.

To your utter shock, a big ship is what greeted you upon entering the village. What the heck? You feel your daughter squirm in your arms wanting to be set down. You obliged and followed her when she suddenly ran to the direction of the ship.

The nearer you got, the more you see that there are a lot of people gathered around. Hope blooms in your chest as you know now that you and your daughter will survive seeing as they have this kind of resources.

A group of people went down the ship and the villagers seemed to buzz with excitement. I was about to grab Xenka so we can introduce ourselves but to my surprise, she's already in front of a young man with white hair that turns green in the tips. That reminded you of a leek which Xenka hates.

"Eh? Whose kid are you?" the man said while picking on his ear.

You sighed and hurried to walk beside your daughter. Upon seeing you, everyone erupted to loud whispers, questioning your identity. Some people from the ship even took a defensive stance and had their weapons at the ready. You suddenly felt scared and the young man sighed.

"Oi, what the heck are you doing?" He scolded his friends.

"We don't know her. She could be an enemy. Protect the chief. Rules are rules," the tall man with glasses replied.

"I am ten billion percent sure that she's not. If I deduce it correctly, you have been depetrified on your own, right?" You nodded and then his eyes trained on the little girl who has already taken a bottle from his bag.

You tried taking it from her but it's too late as she poured it on your left big toe that still remained as stone. The two of you watched in wonder when it cracked and revealed your smooth skin.

You watched as your daughter crossed her index and middle fingers as she mulls over something. This scene is painfully familiar as it is also the same mannerism as her dad's when he's too deep in his work.

Like a light bulb suddenly lit up, the crease on her little brows smoothened.

"I see now. That concoction smells like nitric acid with ethanol. The place where mama and I laid had a cave that gave nitric acid from bats but it is now gone. I thought that it is one of the factors for depetrification. However, you have more bottles with it that means you have a continuous supply of those two."

Her lengthy explanation has not just amazed me but everyone around the area. Some even had their mouths hanging open.

"What the? How did she know that?"

"But she looks like she isn't even a year old!"

"Woah! That's crazy!"

You can't help but be proud as the villagers scream from disbelief. That's your daughter alright! Even if her intelligence didn't come from you. But she did came from you.

"Kukuku! You're not just an ordinary kid, right? Then answer my next question. We have no source of Nitric Acid as the cave has been destroyed. What mineral will make the production of Nitric acid possible?" He tested her with a smirk in his face.

However, your daughter also showed a similar smirk and faced him on, "Huh, easy! It would be platinum!"

He grinned and outreached his hand to her, "My name is Senku."

You see your daughter's eyes widen and you can see why. Someone who has almost the same name as her and a genius at that too?! Who wouldn't be surprised.

"Senku-niisan, I am Xenka! And that is my mother, Y/n," she introduced while pointing at me, "please let us stay here. I can help you with your work and mama can treat people. She's a nurse!"

The young man, Senku, looked at you and grinned, "Well first, you two need some clothes. Yuzuriha, take care of them,"

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

It has been a few months now since you joined the Kingdom of Science. You are still at awe at how Sengku managed to build everything from scratch with the help of these young people.

It is also crazy how your daughter fits in the science team so easily. The gaps in her knowledge is easily supplied by Senku and the two grew even more closer. She really views him as her older brother. At this point, the two are inseparable. They even finish each other's sentences at times.

But the craziest of it all is that, you are now entering San Francisco California in the ship they made. You never thought that you'll go back to where you used to live. However, this is one of Senku's plan to go to the moon and you all need the corn here.

Apparently, they needed you because 1. you are a nurse and 2. you know the geography of the place- well at least from 3700 years ago. Also, your daughter has decided to go so you really had no choice.

It has been a few days since Perseus docked here. A few nights ago, Senku was shot and you have been tending him. Apparently, there's another Kingdom of Science here in America. It surprised the lot of you since they are already advanced in terms of weaponry but you believed that your team can handle it. They already have a plan to take their leader.

And now you are in a quest to find your patient who was out of his bed when you checked a few minutes ago. Little Xenka is even crying because she didn't know where her oniisan went to.

You are also silently fuming because you specifically told him to rest so his sutures won't break. Suddenly, you are being dragged. You were about to fight back (Kohaku taught you basic self-defense) but when you see the dazzling suit of the butler, yoi sighed in relief.

"Where are we going, Francois?" you asked.

"They seized their leader and we are going to escape. Senku still needs you to tend his wounds," upon hearing Senku's name, Xenka immediately stopped crying.

"I hope he's okay," she mutters while you tightened your hold on her.

"Don't worry, sweetie. We'll make sure to scold your oniisan, okay?" You tried cheering her up and it works. You wonder what's gearing up in that little big mind of hers.

The three of you made your way to a smaller boat that looked like a yacht. You guessed that they hijacked it from the enemies. Without wasting a second, you and your daughter roamed from room to room for your leek-y boy.

You and your daughter's annoyance grew the farther you searched and alas, only one cabin remained. You and Xenka looked at each other and nodded. Without further ado, you kicked the door open, startling the two people in the room. However, the two of you are focused on Senku that you didn't even realize a man was standing beside him.

"You brat! What did I say about taking a rest?! If you want to bleed badly you can just say so!" You nagged at him while Xenka pouts and glares at him.

"Xenka is upset oniisan! You said you'll never leave my side!" she said and refrained looking at the boy.

"Y-y/n?"

Suddenly, it felt like a bucket of ice-cold water is poured on you. Even thousands of years have passed, you still remember that voice. It's the one that whispered sweet words in your ear at three in the morning but broke you in the end.

"Mama? What's wrong?" You felt two warm hands touch your cheeks but your gaze snapped and remained at the other man in the room.

"Xeno," you breathed.

Suddenly, a burst of memories that you had together appeared on your mind like a broken record. The first day you met, the day he asked you to be his girlfriend, the first time you kissed and made love, and then the last time you have seen each other. You realized you had so many happy memories together but it took less than ten minutes for it to shatter.

"Y/N, I-"

"I don't want to hear it," you said and was about to go out of the room but Xenka squirmed wanting to be out down. You hesitantly obliged.

She went in front of Xeno. The two stared at each other. White hair to white hair. Black eyes to (e/c). Indeed, looking at them like this just enhanced how they look so much alike.

Xenka crossed her middle and index finger which made Xeno surprised. You know he already knows who this child is. You're even sure that Senku must have known this the moment we entered the room or even way before that.

"I see, so you're my father. Based on mama's reactions and how you're not in my life, Xenka's 10 billion percent sure that you never wanted me," her little voice broke and it made your heart clench in hurt.

"Well, if you don't want us, Mama and Xenka don't want you either!!" She screamed and ran out of the room. Without hesitation, you followed the little girl out after glaring at Xeno.

You know that your daughter is hurt right now and she needs you the most. You find her hiding in one of the lower rooms. The sight shattered your heart and you immediately went to crush her in your embrace. This only made her cry more. Even at this young age, she understands what's happening. And for the first time, you wished she's an ordinary one-year-old.

#dr. stone #dr. stone imagines #dr. stone headcanons #dr. stone south american arc #dr. stone dad x reader #dr. stone reader #dr. xeno #dr. x #dr. xeno x reader #dr. xeno dad! x reader

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hairtestindia · 2 years

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#hair analysis near me #hair test analysis near me #hair mineral analysis #hairtest #hair mineral test near me #hair mineral analysis test #hair analysis test near me #hair mineral analysis test near me #hair mineral analysis india #hair mineral analysis near me

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natalyelle · 3 years

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Broken Connections

Shepard receives a task to investigate a broken connection with laboratories on a distant planet. She and her companions arrive there to find out that something is wrong there and they should find it out as quickly as possible.

Chapter 1 of 3, around 2k words

Also on AO3

One of Gloria Shepard's favorite star systems in the Galaxy was the Pandonea system. An unusual bright star, whimsically colored planets, most of which were rich in minerals.

The most beautiful planet in the system was a turquoise-purple gas giant surrounded by a thin pale ring of asteroids. Gloria was looking at it with interest through the porthole when the Joker's voice announced over the speakerphone:

“Commander, Admiral Hackett wants to get in touch with you, he's on the line in the communications room.”

“I'm on my way,” Gloria replied, turning away from the window.

“Commander,” the admiral said politely, bowing his head. “I'm glad to see you're all right.”

“Likewise, Admiral,” Shepard nodded. “Do you have a task for me?”

“Yes, we need to check what happened to the communication in the research laboratory on Eltrea. You are the closest to the planet among the Alliance ships, so it was decided to entrust the investigation to you.”

“Acknowledged. What are the details? What happened?”

“The laboratory includes several employees from different research institutes from different planets, including Earth. Every week they send a signal confirming that everything is fine in the laboratory and it is functioning. With the same signal, as a rule, new materials and scientific information obtained during the work of the laboratory are regularly received. However, for the third week now, the laboratories have been silent. No new information, no confirmation signal. The institutes are concerned about the fate of their employees.”

“Don't worry, Admiral, we'll figure it out.”

Gloria turned off the video link and turned on the speakerphone with the cockpit.

“Joker, set a course for the orbit of Eltrea. We have a new task.”

“It will be done, Commander,” the pilot replied cheerfully.

“I heard that we have set a course to Eltrea,” Liara began cautiously, meeting Shepard near the elevator between the decks of the Normandy.

“Yes, do you want to come to the surface with me? We need to find out if everything is in order at the local laboratory,” Gloria smiled.

“If possible,” Liara smiled back. “The fact is that my friend, Lydia Orlova, works in this laboratory, I would like to make sure that everything is fine with her. She is a xenolinguist, we met at the Prothean excavations.”

“A xenolinguist?” Shepard's eyebrows went up. She went to the porthole and gazed thoughtfully at the stars floating in the darkness. “I thought that the laboratory was engaged in the extraction and study of minerals or something like that.”

“No, as far as I know, the Prothean pyramid is being excavated here. Lydia is a very good expert in alien languages and symbolism, her knowledge helps to decipher the symbols on the pyramids.”

“The Prothean pyramid? Quite unexpectedly… Okay, I'm including you in the landing team. Prepare your tablets, documents and materials, I think we can take advantage of the opportunity for cultural and scientific exchange.”

“Yes, Commander!” Liara happily ran to her cabin to collect things, Shepard just watched her dreamily and smiled at her thoughts.

“Tali, Garrus,” Shepard said over the speakerphone, “get ready to land on the surface of the planet. We have a special task.”

“Commander, are you sure you should include only alien companions in the landing group?” Kaidan asked cautiously, coming up to Gloria. “If this is an Alliance task…”

“There's also me,” Shepard smiled dazzlingly. “Don't worry, I know what I'm doing.”

* * *

“So, guys, let's repeat our legend,” Shepard said, sitting at the wheel of the Mako all-terrain vehicle. Garrus was sitting on her right hand, Liara and Tali were in the back seat.

“Why invent some kind of legend if something serious happened?” Tali asked. “What if there is no one there who will listen to us. And if they will, then why invent something, and not just say everything as it is?”

“Even if everything looks good, you can't trust this apparent well-being,” Gloria remarked. “It will not be superfluous to cover ourselves so there are no additional problems.”

“It's kind of complicated,” Liara muttered.

“So the legend,” Shepard repeated. “Liara was sent here from the Citadel as a new Prothean specialist. The Citadel could not inform her appointment, because there were some problems with communication, so Liara arrived here without warning.”

“In my opinion, it is quite logical,” Garrus said.

“Tali was on the same ship as Liara, learned about the laboratory and decided to come here for her Pilgrimage to help with communication problems,” Shepard continued. “In exchange for some useful, but not classified information. See? We are not even deceiving anyone yet.”

Liara looked thoughtfully out of the small window. A deserted valley passed by, low hills could be seen in the distance. The bright, slightly reddish sun, setting below the horizon, gave the landscape a purple hue. Shepard's eyes sometimes took on the same shade.

“And Garrus?” Liara asked quietly.

“And Garrus is my assistant, escorting us to the laboratory so that we are not attacked by wild animals and all that.” Gloria happily turned the steering wheel of the all-terrain vehicle.

“Shepard, I don't know what is your human custom, but aren't you driving too dangerous?” Tali asked.

“It's all right!” Gloria replied cheerfully, looking into the rearview mirror with a smile. Liara caught her eyes shining with joy and involuntarily smiled herself. They are going on a possibly dangerous mission, and Shepard is enjoying the trip like a child. It was a little surprising, but for some reason Gloria's joy was contagious, and Liara also cheered up a little.

“Do you have any qualification tests for drivers?” Garrus asked, gripping his seat.

“Relax, guys, what can go wro – ”

Mako suddenly fell into a hole, the sky seemed to mix with the earth. With a thud, the vehicle landed on solid ground, and Shepard, as if nothing had happened, drove it forward.

“It's just a shorter way!” Shepard exclaimed. “We'll be there in no time!”

After a while, the dark buildings of the laboratory appeared from behind the hills. They looked like large boxes placed side by side and on top of each other. To the left of the buildings, the dark top of the pyramid could be seen sticking out of the ground. Liara fixed her eyes on this vague, gloomy spot. How many secrets this pyramid must have kept! How she would really like to be among the researchers of this laboratory to learn the Prothean secrets that bothered her a lot.

On the other hand, next to her now is a person who holds no less secrets of the Protheans than, perhaps, this pyramid. Liara shifted her gaze to Shepard. The violet light gave her eyes even more depth, and her lips an unusual and attractive color. Is it only the secrets of the Protheans that attract her to Shepard?..

“How interesting, their lights are on,” Shepard drawled, nodding at the laboratory buildings.

Liara looked ahead through the windshield and saw that Shepard was right. The small rectangular windows glowed slightly with a dark orange light.

“So, scientists are working there...” said Liara.

“Or they all ran away from there,” Gloria said melancholically. “Or they are lying dead. And the lights are on because the generator is still producing electricity.”

Garrus coughed slightly.

“Well, we will believe in the best!” Shepard smiled, driving closer to a large building with a door.

The team got out of the vehicle and went to the door, near which was a communication screen. Gloria punched the button under the screen with her fist, and it came to life. A young man's face appeared in the gray interference. His dark, thick brows were furrowed. "So, at least someone is alive here," Liara thought with some relief.

“Good evening!” Gloria said with a smile in her voice. Her very face was covered by a helmet. “I am Commander Gloria Shepard of the Normandy, Spectre, who has arrived here to accompany your new colleague, Dr. Liara T'Soni.”

“I haven't heard about any new colleague,” the man behind the door replied.

“It's kind of weird,” Shepard continued. “I was told that the message was sent to you a week ago. Perhaps you have problems with communication? We can help you solve them.”

“Everything is fine with us!” the man insisted.

“Maybe you should tell your supervisor about us?” Gloria asked and put her hands behind her back, showing that she was ready to wait for a long, very long time. The man sighed and pressed a button on the side. The front door hissed and opened. Gloria waved her hand solemnly, letting her companions inside.

After passing the buffer zone, where everyone took off their helmets, the team went into a small hall. It looked cozy - there was a table with artificial flowers against the far wall, along the walls there were small display cases with extracted Prothean artifacts. A tall, red-haired woman came out of a door at the side. Her piercing green eyes scanned the Normandy team and settled on Shepard.

“Hello!” Gloria took the initiative and took a step forward to the woman.

“Hello,” the woman said, slightly tilting her head, walked up to Shepard and held out her hand. Gloria shook it politely.

"My name is Gloria Shepard, " she said.

“Yes, I have already been informed,” the woman nodded. The man from the screen appeared behind her. “ My name is Ariadna Dowsell, I am the head of the local scientific laboratory. This is Greg Nicholson, a specialist geologist.”

The man nodded.

“I am very glad that a new specialist was sent to us, and at the same time I am a little puzzled.”

“Something happened? Shepard asked, tilting her head to the side.

“The fact is that we requested a new specialist two weeks ago, but we did not receive any response. And no messages from our institutes either. Your arrival is a surprise for us.”

“And yet, this is a pleasant surprise!”

A short, fair-haired woman appeared from the same side door. She smiled happily as she walked up to Ariadna.

“This is Ioanna Viktorova, a specialist in xenoarchaeology,” Ariadna introduced her.

“We at the laboratory are always happy to see new faces!” Ioanna chirped cheerfully.

“Xenoarchaeology?” Liara asked. “ Sounds very interesting!”

“Oh, yes, it's really interesting! But let's not stand on the doorstep, come in, let's drink tea!”

Shepard and the company followed the cheerful Ioanna. Ariadna and Greg also joined them.

“It's quite cozy here,” Liara said, looking around the small room furnished as a living room. There was a sofa and soft armchairs, a coffee table in the middle, near the walls there were cabinets with books and a couple of stone exhibits.

“Yes, you can't say that you have a laboratory here,” Gloria drawled, sipping the black tea offered to her.

“We have been here for quite a long time, so in order not to go completely crazy, we decided to organize a more familiar, homely atmosphere,” explained Ioanna.

“I heard that Lydia Orlova is also here,” Liara said, looking awkwardly at Ariadna.

“Yes, she's here,” she nodded. “She's checking out the dig site before it gets dark.”

“And are there many specialists here now?” Shepard asked.

“We have enough,” Ariadne smiled. “In addition to the four humans, there are also two asari from Tessia and one from Nevos, three turians from Palaven and one volus.”

“And how are the studies going?” Shepard poured herself more tea.

“Pretty casual,” Greg said. “We are clearing the found pyramid from the dirt so that we can study it better.”

The door to the living room opened, and a tired young woman with her hair tied up in a bun entered the room.

“Lydia!” Liara could not contain her joy, jumped up from the sofa and ran to the girl who entered.

“Liara!” the girl smiled,hugging asari. “Is it you?”

“It is!” Liara laughed. For some reason, all the tension that had not left her in this room dissipated. “I'm very glad to see you!”

“But by what fates?” The girls stopped hugging and sat down on the sofa together.

“Dr. T'Soni was sent to us as a specialist in the Protheans,” Ariadna said. It seemed to Liara that the temperature in the room dropped by half a degree. Why? She couldn't understand. Perhaps it was just her imagination. Lydia beamed.

“You will be delighted with what we have dug up here!” she exclaimed.

“Commander Shepard, this is the Normandy,” a voice whispered in Gloria's earpiece.

“I'm listening to you, Kaidan.”

“We have a little problem, due to the asteroid debris, we have to adjust the orbit, and we will not be able to lift you in the near future. Do you have the opportunity to wait on the planet for about a day?”

Gloria caught Ariadne's eye. She nodded slowly and said:

“We can accommodate you and your team in the reserve rooms, Commander.”

“Excellent. Kaidan, we're staying in the lab, keep me updated on your situation and condition. Shepard out.”

“Yes, ma'am.”

The rustling in the ear stopped.

“And what about your connection?” Shepard asked Ariadna.

“I don't know for sure,” Dowsell said.

“I can check the status of your communications center,” Tali offered. Ariadna frowned a little and exchanged glances with Ioanna.

“Quarians are famous for their techniques,” Shepard said, leaning back in her chair. “Perhaps you just lost some wire, and we will quickly fix it.”

“Yes, thank you, it's a good idea,” Ariadna smiled again. “Ioanna conducts…”

“Tali'zora,” quarian introduced herself with a slight bow.

“Yes, yes,” Ariadna said quickly and nodded to Ioanna. Ioanna nodded in response, and she and Tali left the living room.

“And where are your other colleagues?” Shepard asked. “I would like to meet them. Especially the volus scientist.”

“They're probably already asleep,” Ariadne shrugged. “Well, and you must be tired. Greg will show you to your rooms.”

“Tomorrow you will show me everything!” Liara said happily to Lydia, and they wished each other good night.

#Mass Effect #mass effect fanfiction #sometimes I write #oc: Gloria Shepard #my writing

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lo-55 · 4 years

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Broken Wings

By all rights, the scars shouldn’t have existed in the first place. Ace x Marco

Ace first noticed the mark before he was Whitebeard’s son. Or, more accurately, before he knew he was one of his sons. Back when everyone who was not named Portgas D. Ace had already accepted that he was a part of the family, and was just being difficult at this point.

Ace had a lot of hiding places on the ship. He’d found at least a dozen in the week he’d been their captive, small slates that could be safely removed and revealed enough space for a young man to squeeze in, storage rooms that were barely used, and one particular closet that housed the spare sails. He could hide away all day, until his stomach demanded that he steal food or he had a new plan to try and take the old man’s head.

Frustratingly, no matter where he went, Marco could always find him. Was he a phoenix or a freaking bloodhound?

Ace had hoped that his latest hiding place would remedy that.

After all, who would look in their own window seat for a captive?

Ace muffled a snicker at his own cleverness and settled against the wood, safe behind the curtains that Marco kept drawn. Ace wasn’t sure why Marco had the box with the window in it, which gave the best view of the seas. The window’s even had a latch, unlike anything Ace had seen on a ship before. Most rooms only had a porthole, if that, and they definitely didn’t open.

The young man was very smug, settled in and waiting. Let Marco find him now!

Ace woke up from that thought sometimes around sunset, the narcoleptic attack ending as quick as it came. He looked out, watching the sun burn across the horizon as it sank into the waves. Orange melted down in the water, molten fire. Ace breathed in the dying warmth, drawing it into his veins.

The door opened with a soft clock, so minute Ace almost missed it. He stiffened, barely daring breath. Had Marco found him?

Even if he had, it wasn’t like Ace had gone snooping through his things. He’d just sat himself in the window and taken an unwilling nap. He hadn’t gone through the carefully stacked manila folders, or pulled open the drawers in the desk. He hadn’t gone riffling through the closet, or even touched his sheets.

Ace waited a few minutes before he carefully parted the curtains, just enough to peak out.

Marco was facing away from him, dropping his lilac shirt into a hamper. He reached for the blue one he had already laid out, stretching the scar on his back.

It was bad, ugly, stretching from beneath the sash at his hips up to his shoulder blades and back. The cut that had made it was too jagged for it to have been done cleanly, or with any skill, and it was clearly done with the intent to hurt, mock.

Ace pulled his face back, suddenly sick with the feeling of intruding. He waited until Marco had left the room to sneak out, running off to hide somewhere else. He didn’t go back to the window box. He had already seen more than he was meant to.

~ ~ ~

The second time Ace saw it was at an onsen on a winter island that was under their protection. They had gone to celebrate Ace finally becoming Whitebeard’s son. It was a lavish affair, and after the party wound down everyone parted ways. Some went back to the ship, some went to see what the local girls thought of pirate boys. Ace decided to try the water out.

Now, he may not have always been the most strategic of thinkers, but Ace was, by no means, stupid. Impulsive, reckless, bullheaded even, but not stupid. So when he decided he wanted to soak in the hot water, he grabbed the nearest person to him, who happened to be Marco, and declared,

“Take a bath with me.”

To which he received a slightly more open eyed stare than usual. Marco went back to his sleepy expression a second later.

“No,” he said blandly. Ace frowned, about to argue, when he remembered the macabre decoration carved into his new brother’s back.

“Then watch me take one,” he countered instead. Marco stared at him again, until Ace realized his mistake. Face heating, he smacked the bird. “Not like that! If I fall asleep in the water, I’ll drown.”

“Then stay out of the water, yoi,” Marco reasoned. He hadn’t even flinched for Ace’s blow.

Ace made a face at the older pirate, face scrunched up like a bulldog trying to get a biscuit.

Marco snorted at him and the lines of his face eased into a softness that made Ace’s stomach curl delightfully around itself. He swallowed back a lump trying to form in his throat, eyes wider.

“Alright, alright,” Marco waved his hand. “I’ll make sure you don’t drown.”

Ace positively beamed at him. He threw an arm around his brother, dragging the taller man into him. To his credit Marco didn’t stumble, just leaned down at little to make up for the different in their height.

“You’re the best!” he told the phoenix, handing him the praise a few inches from his face. Marco, lackadaisy as ever, poked Ace’s hat a few inches higher.

“Just start walking, yoi.”

Ace did, his arm migrating from being looped around Marco’s neck to his arm. If Marco thought anything about how childish Ace was, he didn’t mention it.

Both of them had a room to themselves, but Ace went to his for the sake of actually knowing where that was. The rooms were already impressive enough, especially to someone who’d grown up the way Ace had, but more than the wide space or the fine paintings on the wall, more than the well stuffed cushions around the small table or the silk sheets over the mats, the baths were grand.

A hot spring, each expensive suite accompanied by one, bubble up from the ground with water that bordered on scalding. Rich minerals rolled through the stone with the water that filled the bath, big enough to hold five men, let alone two. A tree swung it’s low branches down near the water, causing ripples where it brushed. The whole thing was bordered with a powdery snow fall that hadn’t quite melted yet.

Ace stripped, shameless in front of another man, and tossed his clothes carelessly into the corner before he slipped into the water.

On anyone else it would have been too hot to simply jump into. For a man made out of fire, it was just warm enough to sink into his skin and feel pleasantly warm.

A soft, contented sigh escaped him. He hadn’t realized until then the kind of pressure he’d been under, constantly anxious, waiting for someone to get sick of him and attack. Constantly weary of where he was, who was around and what was in his food. Always truing to come up with a way to kill Whitebeard, even surrounded by a ship of people who kill and die for him.

Ace’s head lolled back. His chest caved in with the built up stress finally being released.

Long fingers slid into his hair, drawing dark eyes open to look up at Marco’s droopy eyed stare. A small tug and a soft ‘thump’ sounded behind his head.

“You still have your hat on,” he explained. Ace hummed and leaned into the fingers. It felt nice, being touched like that. Luffy had been all about physical contact, but there was something different between his little brother clinging to him at every opportunity and Marco taking the time to make sure he didn’t hurt his most valuable possession, some foreign in the gentle way his fingertips touched Ace’s scalp.

“Thanks,” he remembered his manners, at least. When Marco’s touched wandered from his head to his shoulders, to one of the arms Ace had stretched out on either side of him, he did nothing to stop it. Not even when his fingers found the familiar crossbones over the extra letter in his name.

Ace looked at Marco’s face, waiting for the inevitable question. A question that never came.

Marco pulled his hand back to himself, to Ace’s disappointment. On impulse, Ace grabbed it before it was out of reach.

Marco glanced at him.

“Yes? He prompted.

Ace paused. He hadn’t thought that far ahead.

“Are you sure you don’t want in?” he asked again, fully expecting denial.

When Marco sighed and pulled his hand back to take off his shirt, Ace was stunned. He hadn’t actually expected for Marco to join him, but here he was, stripping down. Ace would be lying of he said he didn’t watch him, letting his eyes wander down the man's legs, up over his chest, and higher until he met a smug smile and dark eyes.

Ace’s face heated quickly and he looked away, sinking down in the water. Shit.

“Like what you see?” Marco teased, easing himself in across from Ace. The younger man didn’t miss the way he kept his back to him.

“Eat me,” Ace replied, eloquence personified.

Marco snorted and sunk in to his shoulders, tilting his head back and letting out a groan that had to be intentional. Ace decided then that Marco was a dick.

“I didn’t say it before, yoi,” Marco said some minute later, “But welcome home, brother. We’re glad you found us.”

Ace flushed warmly, a goofy smile spreading across his face. That same warmth curled in his stomach once more, Marco met his smile with a half one of his own.

“I’m glad I didn’t get a lucky shot in and kill the old- and kill Pops,” he tested the word, rolling it around in his mouth. His father. Ace hadn’t known how much he needed one until he had one, and now he didn’t think he could ever let go of the feeling of being someone’s son. Someone other that him.

Marco laughed, long and hard. Ace’s face only got hotter.

“You were never going to kill him, you know,” he said, without the mocking bite that Ace expected for trying to murder the strongest man in the world, on at least twenty seven different occasions. He sighed heavily.

“I do now!” Ace tilted his head back against the stone, slightly cooler than the water, and closed his eyes.

He woke up when he found himself being jostled, picked up out of the water and slung over Marco’s shoulder like he weighed nothing at all.

Dark eyes blinked a few times before they focussed on his butt, then quickly migrated to the scars mutilating his back. Ace swallowed a sudden wave of nausea and anger. They were even worse close up, horribly detailed in their depiction. It made his stomach roil with the desire to burn whoever had done it to ashes.

He pressed his face into Marco’s back, so he wouldn’t have to see, and wrapped his arms around his chest and an awkward hug. It drew a soft laugh from the man carrying him.

“Go back to sleep,” he advised for the first time, “I won’t let you drown.”

Ace had no doubt about that. He obeyed and closed his eyes.

~ ~ ~

Ace saw it again weeks later, though he didn’t ask about it.

When he ran his hands down Marco’s ribs and lay his lips across his chest, Marco let him push the shirt off. The fire in his veins roared to life and he tumbled into the bed, letting Marco roll them until he was hovering above Ace, kissing his hard. Ace thought he could drown like that, kissing Marco, grasping at his shoulders, sinking his nails into his arms.

They tumbled, pressed against each other, kicking up a ruckus that settled more than a few bets.

Ace found himself laid out of his back, grinning like mad at the ceiling. His head was hazy, his skin was steadily cooling even as Marco ran his palm across Ace’s stomach, reaching a small scar that slid between his ribs, barely an inch across.

Ace didn’t have to look to know the one his fingers had paused on.

“They took me by surprise, before I ate the fruit,” he said without prompting. “Probably the closest I’ve ever come to dying. And it’s tiny!”

“Right into your lung,” Marco agreed. His fingers moved on, to a slightly larger mark, much more faded, on his chest. He tapped it, drumming his fingers over the three slashes. “Feline?”

“Giant tiger,” Ace confirmed. “I was like, eleven? It looked smaller from in the tree…”

Marco laughed at him and leaned down to look him in the eyes. “How don’t you have more scars?”

“Luck? Stubbornness? I don’t have your healing factor,” he elbowed Marco playfully. Still, Marco had scars of his own. Worse than any of the ones Ace had ever seen before, and he’d seen some shit.

His thoughts must have showed on his face for some of the calm bliss Marco had been exuding dissipated. His smile faded, his sleepy eyes dimmed and he rolled, snatching his shirt off of the floor. Ace watched him, letting the horrible image on Marco’s back burn into his retina.

Ace could still picture it even after he’d dressed and walked out the door.

~ ~ ~

The fourth time, Ace couldn’t help it.

Marco had, for once, slept in. Ace had volunteered to go get him. He didn’t see anything wrong with it. He even knocked, softly, before he poked his head inside. There wasn’t much room for shame on a pirate ship. So Ace walked in, paused at the doorway, and stared.

Marco had fallen face first onto his bed and was out cold, his shoulders moving steadily with each breath. Up, down, up, down. His lilac shirt lay crumpled under his arms, his pants hung uselessly over the edge of the bed, leaving him in nothing save his boxers.

Green, Ace noted idly as he approached on soft feet.

He stood at Marco’s side, looking down his long body. As strong as he was, the man was light enough for most of them to lift with one hand. A side effect of being part bird, Ace figured.

The scars stretched across his back, before Ace’s eyes. It made him sick. His fingers itched, drawing to lay feather-light across the horrible fresco painted into Marco’s skin. He followed the curve that wrapped across his shoulder blades, down his ribs, to his lower back.

“Who hurt you?” he breath the question to the air.

“I haven’t always been Whitebeards son, you know.”

Ace snatched his hand back like he’d been burned, head snapping down to look at Marco’s face. Even though his smile was amused it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“You’re awake,” he wanted to smack himself for such a stupid statement. Marco just smiled at him, indulgent.

“Hand me my pants,” he pointed, “And I’ll tell you a story.”

Ace grabbed them and handed them over, stomach clenching in a way that nothing to do with the way the ocean rolled under their feet. Marco sat up and pulled his pants on, threading his favorite sash through them when Ace gave it over without needing to be asked.

“You don’t have to tell me anything,” Ace warned him.

“I know,” Marco assured. He didn’t reach for his shirt quite yet. Ace watched his face, not his back or his shoulders. Focused on the lines of his face instead of the marring on his back.

Ace waited in silence for Marco to do on. When he did, it was a credit to his skills that he sounded exactly the same way he always did. Unbothered by anything.

“Not all pirate’s work the way we do. Not all crews are a family, or even a group of friends. Some of them are cobbled together by desperate people, or bound as one by force and fear,” Marco looked at the window, not at Ace. “We were formed before Gol D. Roger started this age of piracy. It was a dark time, for the world and for me. The captain found use for me, for my abilities and my adaptation. I made a good shield in a fight, and I was too young to understand what he was doing to be wrong. What boy wouldn’t do anything to protect their ‘father’?”

Ace swallowed a lump in his throat. He didn’t dare say anything.

“Someone shot through me once, though, and hit him in the leg. He found a fitting punishment. He made sure I couldn’t forget my failure. If I didn’t know what seastone did before, I certainly did after.”

“Marco…” Ace didn’t know what to say. So he kissed him, long a slow. Trying to explain what he didn’t have the words to say. That his father was a piece of shit. That that wasn’t his father, Whitebeard was. That Ace was glad he was here and would fight anyone who tried to hurt him again.

Marco kissed him back, smiling against his lips. Ace wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close. He let his hands slide up, across the mangled skin. A heat burned in his chest, fury at the man who had done that, love for the man it was laid upon.

Ace let Marco push him back onto the bed, fingers ghosting across his back. A fire ignited around them, blue and red warring as the two pirates grasped at each other desperately, feelings burning into skin.

As blue flames wrapped around him, Ace chased away the memory of the wings on Marco’s back.

He let himself be consumed by the fire.

#marco the phoenix #portgas d. ace #whitebeard pirates #ace x marco #fluff #one piece #one piece fanfiction

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starkeaton · 4 years

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the adventure zone: graduation character list

Well, i accidentally deleted the original graduation character list post, so here i am making another one. Oops. And as always, if anyone has important details i should add then feel free to suggest them!

Here are all the characters introduced in episodes 1-25. Named characters only!

Also i can’t hide spoilers! So, um..... I can’t put spoilers on this one. If you need the version with spoilers try this version of the post that i made on the adventure zone subreddit but youre not missing out on much.

# -EPISODE 1- (19 characters)

Hieronymous Wiggenstaff (he/him): Head of the Hero/Villain school. at least 400 years old. wears shining blue armor with gold accents. also an elf. according to Tomas, he led the charge at the "battle of blood valley", brought the Kingdoms of Rickart and Dawnbreak to a peace treaty, and founded the school. a little boastful, a little prideful, [SPOILERS OMITTED], and overall a pretty good dude.

Higglemas Wiggenstaff (he/him): Head of the Sidekick/Henchperson annex, cranky old elf. has a dog named hero who shows no signs of anything strange at all, ever.

Gary (he/him): friendly room gargoyle. pseudo-hivemind.

Groundsy (he/him): the groundskeeper. a pretty nice fellow. don't go in his shed.

Hernandez (he/him): beautiful centaur professor of animal handling.

Jimson (he/him): human battlegrounds trainer for sidekicks/henchpeople, world famous featherweight champion, wields a staff. married to crushman.

Crushman (he/him): silver dragonborn with a sickle, and self-described beefy boy! heavyweight blood champion married to jimson. never lost a match for 8 years. full name Frostus Crushman.

Rolandus Fontaine (he/him): former prince, son of deposed king, kind of an asshole, maybe. wears a cape (important detail)

Zana (she/her): "terrifying" tiefling villain sorcerer, friend of rolandus. barkept the test tavern in ep2

Rhodes (she/her): hero ranger, friend of rolandus.

Buckminster Eden (he/him): hero guy. son of "The Iron Lord". their dad is stronger than rolandus's dad. his wiki page says rogue so i think hes a rogue? i never caught that and ive listened more times than i wish i did

Leon (he/him): softspoken buff, bald "fighter" (although i dont remember any clarification on how exactly he fights), sidekick of buckminster, around 28. anyone else keep forgetting he's bald? i keep forgetting it. >!gets sorta-drafted into becoming a falcon for higglemas and so far hasn't done much else.!<

Rainer Michelle (she/her): cheerful villainous necromancer with a floating chair. also, her name is pronounced "rainier" despite not being confirmed as such? travis ships her with fitzroy.

Tomas (he/him): human man with "kind eyes" and a good (psychic???) memory. guidance counselor.

Stewart LeBoeuf (he/him): brawny human man. serves food. there is no joke here, i promise

Mulligan (he/him): teaches potions. mentioned but doesn't appear yet. and we're like 25 episodes in. maybe we'll see him someday

Germaine, Victoria, Rattles (he/him,she/her,???/???): Skeleton crew. They live in the training room i guess, and as a result can never die, because "no one dies in the training room!" (note: someone now HAS to die in the training room). also their races are never explicitly stated but i guess they're probably human? in episode 3 travis brings up something about how many bones are in "the human body" and at this point i think i'm looking too deep into this so i'll just forget about it and you probably should too.

# -EPISODE 2- (9 characters)

Riveau (he/him): halfling, blame-taking teacher.

Mimi (they/them): gnome sidekick who builds cool robot prosthetics

Bartholemus (he/him): owl aarakocra accountant teacher, known for being the best accountant in the land and having a face some might describe as "smoochable". very pro capitalist :’( hope he gets better

Ramos (she/her): goliath teacher of shieldwork. *

Dip (she/her): sidekick, half-orc twin of pip

Pip (she/her): hero, half-orc twin of dip

Festo (they/them): fairy with "beautiful gossamer wings", independent study teacher of magic, loves to party

Snippers (he/him?): Let me tell you my story about Snippers the magic crab. When Travis gave the list of animals that Griffin could choose as Fitzroy's familiar's current form, he listed crab near the start, and this gave me excitement. Now i knew that crab was pretty unlikely but god i hoped that he would choose it. When the list went on- Bat, Cat, Crab, Frog, Hawk, Lizard, Owl, Poisonous Snake, Fish, Rat, Raven, Seahorse, Spider or Weasel- I nearly lost hope. I was hoping so hard that Griffin would choose the crab, but i was ready to accept a non-crab familiar. It was just buried in that list. It wasn't the most useful animal and it was an obscure pick. And as Travis informed him that it didn't have to keep the form for the whole campaign, Griffin said those five words i wanted to hear so, so badly. "Well then it's a crab." Folks, I do not often react physically when something happens in media. But in that moment, i remember very clearly, i fist-pumped and yelled, "YES!!!!!!"

so anyway, Fitzroy has a crab.

Jackle (he/him): kenku teacher of sneakery. creepy dude. apparently knows something about argo? also his name is not spelled "jackal" for some reason. Also in later episodes theyve started calling him "The Jackle" for some reason??? *

# -EPISODE 3- (1 character)

Dakota (they/them): tavern instructor, clad in black/red leather. no race stated? probably human. *

# -EPISODE 4- (6 characters)

Gerry & Tom (she/her, he/him): shopkeepers at barns and nobles who seem to have very bad names. also constantly competing for customers? these guys got dropped faster than the heathcliff quests, which is honestly just sad.

Barb (she/her): the bartender. runs Springs Eternal in Last Hope. has a sweet seeing-eye hawk familiar.

Jaryd Reginald (he/him): owner of Reginald Ore. Wants the workers to be held responsible for the damage caused by the xorn. (fun fact: originally i wrote down "Jerrod" because i wanted it to sound like a fantasy name, then realized it was probably "Jared" because theyre named after listeners, but i was pleased to find it confirmed that it's actually "Jaryd")

Candice (she/her): A Miner. thought those werent allowed in bars but, i guess not. Wants the mine owner to be held responsible for the xorn's damage.

Jade Johnson Esq. (she/her): lawyer.

# -EPISODE 5- (1 character)

Xorn: a big hungry gem eating guy from the plane of earth Low-Down Deep with 3 arms and 3 legs. why did travis just say "multi-armed" instead of specifying it was 3? who knows! Anyway it leaves

# -EPISODE 6- (3 characters)

Osric (he/him): the man, the myth, the bursar. finally shows up after being mentioned in episodes 2 and 4. he's an elf.

breeze through the willows (she/her): Pegasus attacked by demons, lost her parents. introduced in ep1 but gets a name here so fuck it. also in ep>!16!< we find out shes a "white arabian pegasus" and i dont think thats a spoiler bc we shouldve really known it from the beginning

Sabor (he/him): Librarian/research teacher. also a TORTLE. Really good at recalling stuff, i guess. kinda reminds me of Tomas's memory thing but i'm sure that's just a coincidence... *

# -EPISODE 7- (1 character)

Mosh (he/him): The goliath blacksmith who welcomes argo into the unbroken chain. Also, and this is specific to the tumblr version of this post, all the characters with an * at the end of their descriptions are also members of the unbroken chain. if someone knows how to do spoilers on tumblr please tell me

# -EPISODE 8-

# -EPISODE 9- (2 characters)

Eeiïäá#æ&éñn (pronounced like "Ian") (he/him?): an imp but without a shitty voice. also happens to not be violent. what a coincidence?

Terence (he/him): a chain devil with a real demonic name. minor boss of the imps. very convincing and very threatening. has the frightening ability to make you zone out during his fight

# -EPISODE 10- (2 characters)

Althea Song (she/her): elf with autumn-orange hair. representative from heroic oversight guild. i'd like to personally thank travis for spelling her name out.

Crabtree (she/her): Artificing teacher. Long gray hair with a long grey beard. no mentioned race, one might guess dwarf but that would be an assumption i suppose. also unbroken chain member, presumably the dwarf argo didn't recognize in episode 7.

# -EPISODE 11- (3 characters)

Marie (she/her): Grey-haired elf woman. She's the school's physician, i guess. Member of the unbroken chain.

Dendra Maplecourt (she/her): Fitzroy's mom. Has hot mint gum, i guess. She was mentioned earlier but i wasn't convinced she was a real person until this episode

Cool Gary (he/him): AYY ITS ME GARYR

# -EPISODE 12-

no new characters again!

# -EPISODE 13- (7 characters hhhyyyuu)

Kale (???/???): Head of the Placement Department, in charge of real world assignments. First mentioned in Ep4 but i missed that the last few times bc it is so brief. Gives exposition about missions i guess????? is that the only reason this chara cter exists

satyr thief (unnamed) (he/him): tries to rob thundermen, dies instantly

Ogre (he/him): teamed up with the satyr. his name is ogre.

Moon (he/him): A Sidekick. small pale sullen guy. no mentioned race. Why is there another FUCKING sidekick WE HAD ENOUGH hhhyuuuuuu

Deanna (she/her): A bigoted centaur with an obnoxious voice. Malwin the Strong's second in command.

Malwin the Strong (she/her): Leader of the centaurs of the scarlet woods. Wants to appease the spirit of the scarlet woods so that thecentaurs of the scarlet woods will be protected in the scarlet woods. Had a relationship with Arturas in the past but their clashes are currently known to get pretty heated.

Arturas (he/him): Leader of the Centaurs of the Valley, i guess. Had a relationship with Malwin. Centaur. Did i mention centaur? i cant think of anything else about this character

# -EPISODE 14- (2 characters)

Calhain (he/him): Human wizard, Malwin's magical advisor. Kind of an amateur wizard in a job high above his skill level. Graduated Wigginstaff's as a hero.

Spirit of the Scarlet Woods: A spirit who requires sacrifice in order to keep Malwin's herd safe and prosperous. Not keen on dubiously canonical combos, i guess. i wouldnt be either. also apparently the sacrifice depends on personal value, not how much value it has to the spirit.

# -EPISODE 15- (2 characters)

Sylvia Nite (she/her): Fitzroy's magic theory teacher at knight night school, who he turned into a catfish by accident. oops!

Chaos (they/them, maybe more): Presumably a deity, gave Fitz his powers and wants him to give in to his chaotic desires. (physical desc: 9 foot tall, iridescent 'mother of pearl' skin, pure white eyes, fine burgundy cloak with gold/onyx lining. their physical form beyond that seems to change every time they show up.)

# -EPISODE 16-

none -w-

# -EPISODE 17-

some demins happened. the big dudes are called "Pit Fiends" and the armored demon ladies are called "Erinyes", by the way. that was incredibly hard for me to figure out the first time, especially without headphones, i thought travis was saying "pig feet" and i just could not discern what the other things were

# -EPISODE 18- (6 characters)

snow on the mountain: shire horse pegasus

storm at sea: peruvian paso pegasus, vehement defender of The Guardian. doesn't have a goofy voice.. but he could have....

thaw of the spring: a winged horse

night of no clouds: a winged hhorse

The Guardian: "An ancient and powerful being that guards the unknown forest." Has protected the flock from demons for many many years. apparently is the voice that was talking to our firbolg in episode 1?

Grey, the Demon Prince (he/him): wants to cause a war, originally wanted to kill hiero and higgs, forces the heroes to build an army to fight his. As "Fauxronimous", he has skin the *color and pattern of* (but not necessarily made of) slate splashed with liquid, pointed ears, sharp teeth, shining eyes, horns of unspecified shape. 12 fucking feet tall. wonder if the slate-looking skin is related to garys. plot twist detected? Also i recently looked at the episode descriptions and found out his name is spelled "Gray", but really does it truly matter?

# -EPISODE 19- (2 characters)

Shabree Keene (she/her): Argo's mom, killed on the Mariah, possibly by the Commodore. Long auburn hair, green eyes. Mentioned earlier but described here, so fuck it.

**Thomas** (he/him): Argo's first mate on the Mariah, as the Kraken, in his chaos-dream. may or may not actually exist.

# -EPISODE 20- (1 character)

The Commodore (he/him): Reknowned hero of the seas, military regalia, great naval hero, presumably responsible for the death of Shabree Keene. No mentioned race. Seriously, they never mention this guy's race. The only thing described about him is how he's dressed and his evil smile. Does that mean he's human? Elf? Dwarf??? Who knows! maybe it just doesnt matter.

# -EPISODE 21-

none

# -EPISODE 22-

not any of them. not any.

# -EPISODE 23- (1 character)

Ozymondelius (sp???) (it/its): A warforged teacher who just so happens to like war or something? i guess its in the name. only mentioned in this episode, doesnt show up yet.

# -EPISODE 24-

they have a fight in the training room but nobody dies :\\ maybe next time. also no new characters. pog

# -EPISODE 25- (4 characters)

Gherkin (he/him): Tall lankier skeleton, has a scimitar and a merkin, which is a pubic wig... and he wears a jerkin? which i guess is a kind of coat? also i think hes mute

Tibia (she/her?) : Shorter skeleton with gold teeth, and long canines. i think both of the skeletons are mute actually.

The Lich King aka Gordy (he/him): Rainer's dad. Commands armies of the undead. lives in The Crypt. described as a hooded, skull-faced man with intricate black lines on his face, but changes to a shaved-head man with dark skin and vetiligo. Abandoned as a babby, raised by traveling parents, had necromancy powers, took Rainier in. Not actually very scary at all i don't know why he did the creepy laugh. Kind of a warm fatherly figure actually. hm. also people are speculating Gordy might be short for Gordita and his parents are maybe supposed to be lup and barry but THAT S JUST A THEORY.

our firbolg's father (he/him): A firbolg who lived by the code and was there when our firbolg was banished. Came to respect our firbolg's interest in a new way of life, in his final moments.

TOTAL: 72 NPCS! (well, including 2 extra PCs, i guess.)

Average: 2.88 NPCs per episode.

i was gonna not include the bone-PCs and have it be 69 but our firbolg's dad was just too important to not respect with a spot on the list.

anyway as always make sure to smack me with a blunt object if i forgot any characters!!!!!

#the adventure zone #taz #taz: graduation #taz g #sir fitzroy maplecourt #argonaut keene #taz firbolg #i dunno what else to tag this with #text post #keatposting

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dragons-bones · 4 years

Text

FFXIV: A Drop of Birch

A/N: Surprise pre-FFXIV Write fic! Because getting Ehll Tou to Satisfaction IV inspired me. :3

RATING: T WORD COUNT: 2232 WARNINGS: Mild spoilers for Ehll Tou’s custom deliveries story. Cross-posted to AO3!

Aymeric heard the door to his office creak open and someone slip inside before closing the heavy oak behind themself with a barely perceptible thunk. Sure footsteps quietly padded on the thick carpeting—his parliamentary office was more richly furnished than his office at the Congregation, though it was a third of the size—before whomever it was that his gauntlet of aides had let by sat in one of the plush chairs on the opposite side of his desk.

There were only three individuals in the whole of Ishgard allowed into the Lord Speaker’s office without even a warning knock, and two of them were supposed to be busy with new Temple Knight recruits today.

He smiled, still primarily focused on the proposed trade bill in front of him even with such a beloved distraction now in reach. “I will be with you in just a moment, Synnove,” he said.

His ladylove hummed in amused acknowledgment, and he heard the creak of leather as she crossed her legs and settled back into her chair.

After a few more notations made on the document to pass along to his aides, Aymeric set his pen aside and sat up straight from the ungainly slouch into which he had fallen while working, rolling his neck and shoulders to stretch out his stiff muscles. He rubbed his forehead, then drew his hand down his face; he had been at this since before dawn, with only short breaks for midmorning coffee and lunch. Setting his gaze on Synnove, however, he felt his weariness melt away and a familiar, fondly besotted smile grow upon his lips.

Synnove returned the look with a wide, delighted grin of her own, her emerald eyes gleaming with adoration and a not inconsiderable amount of mischief. Her dark brown hair was done up in the crown braids she favored whenever she did some sort of manual labor, from baking to repairing the roof, and the heavy leather vest over a white work shirt with the sleeves rolled up was a familiar sight whenever his lady was assisting in the Firmament. No carbuncles accompanied her at the moment, but she had a jar of some dark substance—syrup?—held balanced atop her knee, the pads of her fingers soundlessly tapping against the glass.

“To what do I owe the pleasure, my love?” said Aymeric, balancing his chin in his palm. “You look like the coeurl who’s gotten the cream.”

“I didn’t want to wait for you to get home tonight,” said Synnove, batting her eyelashes, and held up the jar. Her expression turned fully mischievous, her lips curving in a manner he most often saw on Galette’s face, and the twins’ when they emulated their elder sister. His lady continued, her tone taking a turn for the gleefully smug: “A student of mine completed her first lesson in cooking, and with flying colors. I’m rather keen to show off her success.”

He laughed softly, curious despite knowing that look of catlike satisfaction meant she had something up her sleeve. “Well, far be it from me to turn down the opportunity to taste test. Birch syrup, I presume?”

“How else to best test the patience and attention to detail of a would-be culinarian in the Ishgardian tradition?” Synnove drawled, leaning forward to perch on the edge of her seat, and set the jar down—on the edge of his desk closest to herself.

Aymeric smirked, raising his eyebrows at her. Synnove’s smug grin deepened.

He rose out of his own chair just enough to lean forward, reaching for the jar, when, almost faster than he could see, Synnove lunged towards him. She attacked him with fast, pecking kisses, the first on the apple of his cheek below his left eye, then the bridge of his nose, then the tip, his forehead, his right cheek, the corner of his mouth—

He returned her assault with his own, raining down a barrage of kisses, some hard and smacking, others the barest brush of lips against skin before it was on to the next target. At some point they both gave into deep, raucous laughter, the depths of their mirth forcing them to cease their kisses. Their skirmish finally ended with the pair of them leaning into one another, bent over the middle of the desk: Synnove’s arms around his shoulders, her face in his hair, and Aymeric’s face in her neck and his arms wrapped about her waist. The pair of them snickered and cackled like devious schoolchildren as they attempted to catch their breaths.

Three loud, banging knocks came on his door, and the unamused voice of his chief of staff, Norlaise, rang through the wood: “You have a meeting with the Commons’ Speaker about the trade bill in twenty minutes! Behave!”

Aymeric raised his head and called out over Synnove’s shoulder, “I know, Norlaise!”

One final, crashing knock for emphasis, and stillness settled on the office.

“I wasn’t going to start anything,” Synnove finally muttered into his hair after a short pause. “We aren’t that bad.”

“Yes, Synnove, we are,” Aymeric said with a ruefully unrepentant grin, and kissed the hinge of her jaw while running a hand up and down her spine in luxurious strokes. “Now, share that birch syrup with me and whatever nefarious scheme is rattling around that magnificent mind of yours related to it.”

Synnove let out a grumbling sigh and nuzzled the crown of his head, before they both pulled away—his back twinged only a little as he straightened his spine—and exchanged a final chaste kiss. They retook their seats, with Aymeric picking up the syrup jar as he did, while Synnove pulled her chair closer so that she was able to rest her crossed arms on the desk. She propped her chin on her arms, watching him with a sharp gaze as he in turn held the jar up, examining its contents with a critical eye.

Birch syrup was a much more laborious process than producing its maple cousin, requiring roughly double the sap, a lower cooking temperature, and a longer evaporation time. Aymeric’s mother had been raised in the Eastern Highlands and a tradition of her family and that of the villages on their land had been producing birch syrup during the spring thaw. Lady Gwenaëlle had kept to the tradition even after coming to Ishgard to marry the Viscount de Borel, and Aymeric had been her attentive assistant as a small boy and adolescent when sugaring season was nigh, faithfully absorbing all that she had taught.

Which meant just as Synnove was a snob about the traditional foods she had learned to prepare from her Aunt Angharad, so, too, was Aymeric a snob about those culinary staples he had learned from his mama. Especially birch syrup.

The color on this batch was excellent: the deep, dark mahogany of a proper, long simmer. He tilted the jar back and forth slowly, catching the light from the windows, and raised his eyebrows as he did. It was important to filter the syrup to remove any fine particles or bits of crystallized sugar, and this jar was beautifully clear and free of anything discernible to the naked eye. Most first-time syrup makers could become impatient at this stage, with the end in sight; certainly, his first attempt had not been as wonderfully pure and smooth as what normally graced the Borel table.

But far more important than the appearance was the taste.

Aymeric unscrewed the lid with a deft twist of his wrist and set it aside. Next, he retrieved a clean spoon from the tea service tray haphazardly pushed to the side of his desk, and, conscious of Synnove green-eyed gaze upon him, dipped the utensil into the syrup to lightly coat it. He pulled it from the jar, and popped the bowl into his mouth.

Aymeric groaned softly, eyes falling shut.

Having grown up on birch syrup, he found maple to be cloyingly sweet. Maple’s unique flavor was still lovely, but he had to consume it in very small amounts, else the sugar would make his teeth ache and it would take three rounds of brushing before he was satisfied that he had cleaned it all away. Birch syrup was less overtly sweet, and more complex besides in a way that was difficult to describe: like caramel, or molasses, and almost spicy. His da had always called it ‘minerally,’ or even bittersweet, depending on the batch; Lucia had once said her first taste had reminded her of a balsamic.

This jar was just as good as anything Mama had made; the same depth of flavor exploding and then lingering on his tongue, the same smoothness of a syrup that had been exceptionally well cared for as it simmered and evaporated. No taste of scorching or feel of crystallization at all. And…was that a hint of wintergreen? He knew freshly snapped black birch twigs smelled strongly of wintergreen, but if the sap retained that property even after cooking down…

Aymeric slowly opened his eyes. “That,” he said, breathless, “is wonderful.”

Synnove’s grin was sly and devious as he dipped his spoon back into the jar for another taste. (It was his syrup now, thank you, he was allowed to ‘double dip,’ as Rereha would put it.) “I thought so, too,” she said. “So did Arvide and Hautdilong.”

He paused, spoon still in his mouth and mind going blank for a heartbeat. He blinked once, and stared at his lady.

His lady grinned wider.

Aymeric pulled the spoon free, rolling around the dollop of syrup in mouth on his tongue to savor it even as every warning flag he could think of went up in his mind about Synnove’s intentions. He swallowed at last and said, tone even through sheer force of will, “Ehll Tou made this batch?”

“She did indeed,” said Synnove, pride suffusing her as she sat upright. “We originally acquired the sap from Anna, but Ehll Tou took one sniff and decided she wanted to gather her own. She even knew of a copse of mixed birches not far from Anyx Trine she told us had always smelled delicious when she and her cousins played outside the tower. She near vibrated out of her scales waiting to gather enough sap after Arvide and I showed her how to tap the trees.”

“How long did that take?” said Aymeric, honestly curious, dipping his spoon once more for a third taste of dragon-made syrup.

Synnove tilted her head as she thought. “About…two days, give or take. It was a larger copse than we thought, and we tapped fifteen trees. Ehll Tou was so excited to begin that we had to convince her having access to a proper kitchen in Ishgard would make evaporating the sap less of a hassle than doing so in Tailfeather or over a campfire in Anyx Trine.”

He didn’t bother to hide his grin at that. The dragonet had endeared herself to many of his open-minded countrymen and women with her enthusiasm for learning and throwing herself headlong into every task she undertook. Still, that a Dravanian would be so enamored with the idea of cooking was an idea that would take getting used to, even as enchanting as it was.

“She insisted on doing everything herself,” his lady continued, leaning back in her chair and lacing her fingers across her stomach, “from building the fire in the stove to pouring the sap into the various pots we found for her. She kept the heat steady, she brushed down the sides of the pots regularly to keep any lingering syrup from burning, she transferred the reductions into various smaller pots, and she filtered the syrup three times before she was satisfied it was fit for sharing.”

Aymeric shook his head, fascinated and astonished and awed all at once. “Sewing her own scarf and hat, and making her own syrup, as perfect as anything produced by the finest chefs in Ishgard,” he said. “She’s truly a remarkable individual, and that persistence will serve her well in bridging the divide between man and dragon.”

There was a very peculiar, familiar gleam in Synnove’s eyes as she sat up, vibrating with excitement. She opened her mouth—

Aymeric pointed his spoon at her and said, in the strict tones of the Lord Commander, “We are still not adopting her.”

“Aymeric!” His ladylove’s voice was pure affronted whining.

“No.”

“But—”

He would not yield to the affectation of her huge, sad eyes (oh, Galette had inherited that expression honestly!), and if he let her make the argument at all, she would take the bit between her teeth and charge off with the idea so that he was caught up in her whirlwind. “She is her own person and clearly considered of age enough to travel on her own into the lands of men at her leisure and without censure from her elders, despite their apparent displeasure at her sharing men’s culture with her peers. Never mind Gullinbursti would likely take umbrage with someone, even a Warrior of Light, attempting to lay claim to one of his hatchlings!”

Synnove crossed arms and slid down in her seat in a full-body sulk, a sullen pout on her face. “How dare you be logical,” she grumbled.

“On this matter, someone has to be,” said Aymeric, wry but fond.

Synnove sulked harder.

#final fantasy xiv #aymeric de borel #aymeric x wol #aymeric x synnove #oc: synnove greywolfe #dt's writing #i have been sitting on a birch syrup screed for years now #finally got the chance to (gently) go off :D

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razorblade180 · 4 years

Text

Shackles pt8: Everything

Part 7 <-

Black, pitch black. That’s all Blake could see around her as her body writhed on the coarse ground. What happened? Where was she? Those were the only major questions coming to the forefront of her pounding head until suddenly, her entire body jerked forward. Blake’s eyes opened as she gasped for air as if she was drowning. It was only at the sight of black smoke and blistering flames around her did the haze become clear. A bomb went off. A bomb near Yang and Jacquelyn.

Blake stumbled to her feet, dizzy from the blast. Somehow that was the only major impact. “Yang!!!?” She yelled painfully. “Jac- cough couch. Jacquelyn!!!?” Blake tried to take a step but her legs weren’t having it. They gave out immediately; it was only by the grace of familiar shrine garb that Black didn’t fall back to the ground. “Jacquelyn!?” Blake groaned. The maiden’s eyes glowed purple with magical power as she breathed heavily. She looked a little less worse than Blake. “How….”

“I...shot flames around us and the blast.” Jacquelyn huffed. Her body finally fell onto her knees with Blake leaning on her back. “It diverted the flames, but the impact was far too much. Especially how I am now.” Jacquelyn rubbed her stomach with concern. Hopefully the baby was just fine. Blake rolled off of her back and to the ground. If Jacquelyn hadn’t tried to protect her, Blake was positive that would’ve been the end. Yang however, she wasn’t near them. That alone made Blake feel dead inside.

She found the strength to get back on her hands and knees. The house was completely blown apart with rubble everywhere, but no sign of the blonde bruiser. “Yang…?” Blake said, her voice quivering in fear. That fear gave way when nobody responded. “YANG!!!!! WHERE ARE YOU!?”

The ground started to rumble before a pile of debris shot into the air. “Right...here!” Yang growled, climbing out of hole with Adam’s sword. Her hair blazed like an intense bonfire while her eyes raged red. She saw Blake struggling on the ground with Jacquelyn trying to stand. Yang stormed over to her and yanked her collar tightly. If it wasn’t for the smoke, Yang would’ve screamed until her lungs collapsed. “Care to explain why the fuck a bomb was in your house?”The anger came clearly through her teeth. Her grip immediately began to loosen by the pain of electricity. Yang wasn’t the only one in a fowl mood.

Jacquelyn grabbed the women’s wrist with charged hands. “If you’re delusional enough to still think this is some kinda trick then you got another thing-is...where did you get the sword?”

“Inside your house. Where else!?” Jacquelyn’s grip finally gave way and Yang backed off. “It’s the whole reason you don’t have a home now! It was sticking out behind a bed frame. I went to grab it and it had fucking trip wire on it! Didn’t you check his room!?”

A tint of red came over Jacquelyn. “That’s not his room. It was just a spare. We...we don’t sleep separately.” The look of judgement on her wasn’t an easy pill to swallow. Divulging that information didn’t exactly help her case in trying to be an unbiased member of this group. Jacquelyn reached for the blade but Yang pulled it away. “Ugh, listen, do you really think if I knew something about this then I’d willing be in the explosion and let someone else trip the bomb? Blake’s friends-” both frustrated women turned to look at the girl in question. They had been so busy being angry that they ignored the fact Blake was still trying to recover. Jacquelyn tried making the first move but Yang stepped ahead and carefully hit Blake on her feet, supporting her weight.

“You hurt?”

“Just winded. Jacquelyn bailed me out.” Blake was quick to add. No need for the situation to get any worse. “Like it or not, she’s with us Yang. As for who rigged that bomb, Adam didn’t do it.” Her claim was met with skepticism from her partner and shock from Jacquelyn. Blake grabbed Adam’s sword and held it close. Despite the smoke and ashes, a scent is a scent; nothing changed that. Especially one reeking of dust and blood, lots of blood. “This sword, the entire house itself smelled different from how it looked.”

“And….what would that be?” Jacquelyn asked. She watched Blake’s hand tremble as her claws dug a little the sheath.

“A slaughter house…” The explosion did more damage than Blake realized. Her body betrayed her will to go. As much as she wanted to continue, the only place she was going right now was back on the ground; the sound of her friends calling her name became muffled until silence. Blake felt all tension in her fade away, blacking out on the on the spot.

xxxx

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! The continuous sound of faunus falling to ground as their wrecked bodies gave into fatigue echoed through the cavern walls. The only thing louder was the guards frustration towards Adam’s reluctance to break. Jasmine hobbled down below, her eyes fixated on the man gritting his teeth as a whip cracked against his back and a blade glided along the flesh of his abdomen. Even from here, Jasmine could see Adam’s nails scratch his chains to stave off the urge to lash out.

They’re still at it…” Her brother lightly pushed her to keep moving. Too much slacking wouldn’t be good for them, yet she still couldn’t help but watch as she walked. “He’s really something else huh?”

“Yeah, a real fool.” Rajah said, his tone bitter and angry. “Maybe if he yelled then we’d get shown a little mercy.”

“Why would you want him to yell?”

“He’s the reason we’re here in the first place. If he didn’t fill mom and dad’s head with fighting then we wouldn’t be here right now.”

Jasmine slowed her walking. Her ears folded down and thought about her brother’s words. “Yeah...I guess you’re right.” Her gaze went back to Adam, the source of everything. It was a strange thing, her feelings. Anytime Jasmine looked at the guards, the tired prisoners, her frightened brother, the bodies; anger swelled deep inside her like an inferno. Not with Adam though. Despite the blame being on him, she just sorta felt...indifferent. Was it their conversation, or the fact Sobek personally hated him that made Jasmine like him on some surface level? She couldn’t tell the difference. All she could tell was the man named Adam Taurus was being beaten like the rest. Like herself. What good did that do?

Adam coughed up blood and wheezed heavily. How long was his session this time? Maybe an hour? Counting stopped numbing the pain at least three sessions ago. The guards finally gave him some space again. “Break time already?” He groaned with his head held down. A piece of him wanted to thank his past for giving him the experience to endure this. Then again, it was the same past that put him in the predicament. That’s what he wanted to believe anyways. Jackie would hit him on the head and go off on a tangent about choosing your actions. A tiny smile snook onto his face. He liked her over the top speeches.

A hand slowly appeared under his chin and lifted his head. “What are you so happy about?” Said Sobek.

The feel of his calloused hands against normal skin unnerved Adam, and that’s saying something. Ripping off scales couldn’t be healthy in any way, but nothing Sobek did suggested a healthy state of being. “If you think this is a smile then you’re sicker than I thought.” Adam retorted.

“Predictable response.”

“And yet you still asked. Cut to the chase already. Is this another attempt at a speech or a display of power?”

Sobek smirked, “nothing so repetitive. I just thought the monster would like to know the den we found you in is gone. Our spring trap was sprung. How unfortunate for you.”

Adam couldn’t hide his look of concern. Sobek paced around. “Care to tell me who in their right mind would be in that house? They must’ve showed up looking for you.”

“Your dead family.” Adam didn’t even get the chance to blink before Sobek backhanded him for that answer.

“I should just cut you into pieces and be done with it!” Sobek’s grip on Adam’s lower jaw tightened.

The taste of iron became heavier in his mouth. A look at bloodshot eyes and a nasty snarl proved that Sobek was still a faunus no matter his delusional claims. “Tsk, and I’m the monster?”

“Like you have any ground to stand on. You and I are not the same.”

“Oh I know, and so do they.” Adam nudged his head toward the people below. There wasn’t an eye that wasn’t on the vicious doctor and terrorist. Those who looked at Adam weren’t thinking of the man himself, but staring at the injuries. The same couldn’t be said for Sobek. Looks of fear, anger, shock, judgement; it was aimed right at him. Even his men were put off a little.

“WHAT ARE YOU ALL LOOKING AT!?” Snarled, not helping his case. “Do you feel sympathy towards this...thing; this good for nothing animal!? He is nothing to shed pity over and certainly nothing close to anything that resembles a leader that you all so blindly followed!!!” Sobek huffed. He couldn’t believe how stubborn Adam was to break. It had been days since he'd arrived. Nonstop torture, day in and day out. It was beginning to be a problem. If Adam stayed stubborn, then they all might. It was for that reason why Sobek had a backup plan.

The crocodile man slicked back his hair, regaining composure, then walked off the platform and up to awning shielded by class. It was where old SDC guards watched over the miners. It was still plenty sturdy, and fully equipped. Minutes went by before Sobek descended from it with a devious smirk. For the first time since arriving, Adam actually felt his blood run cold. In Sobek’s right hand...was a branding iron. The infamous three letters glowing red hot.

“Remember this?” Sobek asked sarcastically. He slowly started to approach Adam, enjoying the sight of him attempting to break his shackles by tugging and jerking the chain link. “Come now, you know that won’t work. You know I think I’ll test a new experiment today. What will hurt more? Branding your good eye, or placing this perfectly over the first scar? Only one way to find out!” Sobek laughed.

Terror and pent up wrath filled Adam to the point guards tried to hold him down, but were met with horns bashing their faces and screams. “I swear, I fucking swear Sobek, death will be the only thing you want after this! P-Monsters like us, we get what we deserve a hundred times over! You and your crew-” a guard finally grabbed him by the hair and slammed his to the ground and held it there.

Was this irony, karma? It had to be. The excessive breathing, crowd, the complete lack of compassion as Adam found himself screaming while men held him down in order to make an example. How could so many years pass by and he still be in the exact same situation? Once again, Adam felt powerless. Deep down a feeling tugged inside of him that was different from last time. Jacquelyn, a person who was no doubt worrying about him. A person he wanted to see. A person he wanted to call out for. However, he did not. Under no circumstances was he gonna give Sobek any information about her. This was his problem, and yet…

“H-elp…” he said, barely above a whisper. Sobek’s boots stopped right in front of him. Adam’s good eye can only see the man towering above him with the brand at the ready. And just like those many years ago, Adam shed tears of fear while letting out a plea into a frightened crowd.

“Somebody, anybody, HEEEEELLLLLP!”

For the first time...a cry was shouted back.

“LEAVE HIM ALONE!!!” Cried the voice of the only one who would dare move, Jasmine. Nobody realized she had climbed the platform. She wasted no time ramming all the strength she could muster into Sobek’s stomach. Her claws dug into his flesh, teeth clamped down. Two things were made clear in that moment to Jasmine. Her animal intensity was a gift, not a disease like Sobek tried to brainwash into people. The other thing she already knew from the start. There’s no way any justice could exist in a place like this. Only one thing makes a place like this. Hate, and she had plenty of that to give. Her claws slashed at Sobek’s fleshy arms and made him drop the branding iron down below to the crowd.

People stepped back as the tool made a loud bang against the ground. Several guards scrambled to retrieve it, but so did one prisoner. Rajah, armed with his pickaxe. His legs had moved on their own and fear ran deep into his heart as he saw his little sister get slammed to the ground. He told her to behave. To keep her calm. Why couldn’t she listen? Why couldn’t he stop running? Had she inspired him to act? No. Deep down he knew exactly why he moved. If that thing reached Sobek again, Adam wouldn’t be the only one branded. His sister, everyone might be. Rajah raised his pickaxe for all to see, then smashed the weapon of their torture.

A deathly echo resonated from the impact into utter silence. Rajah looked up to see the soulless eyes of his captor burrow into his very being, paralyzing his body from pure terror. Not even the force of guards pinning him to the ground snapped him back to reality. What had he done?

Sobek’s teeth snarled like a pure beast. He wrapped his hand around Jasmine’s neck and squeezed. “Clearly I’ve been far too lenient with you. I thought I told you what to expect if you couldn’t behave like a good little girl.” He looked at his men. “Get the boy ready for his correction.”

Rajah felt his heart stop. He frantically tried to escape the grasps of the guards but to know gain. “Hellllp! Let me go!”

“Raja-ahh!” Jasmine could barely cough let alone speak. Her eyes glared immensely at Sobek’s in fury that refused to die.

“This time, I’ll make sure you stay broken.” He slammed her against the ground, knocking her out briefly. He wasted no time dragging her through the doors back to the torture rooms.

Adam pulled at his chains. He had shown fear and it cost him. “Sobek! Leave them out of this!”

“Beat him within an inch of death!” Sobek demanded. “Just an inch.” Sobek’s men didn’t hesitate to start kicking and beating Adam’s body like a drum while their master went to make an example of defiant animals.He looked at the bleeding child in his hand💀 “All you had to do was learn. Now pain will be your teacher.

Adam could only grunt as the mysterious door closed once again.“SOBEK!!!!”

xxxx

Black. Once again, Blake found herself waking up to blinding light. Thankfully, it wasn’t the scorching sun. It was her lamp. Blake laid in her bed, bandaged up. “I’m home? How did-” the door opened and it was Ilia who entered, surprised by her friend’s state.

“You’re awake!”

“And you’re here?” What is- agh!” The side of her ribs ached as Blake tried to sit up. “How’d you get here so fast?”

“I didn’t. Blake you’ve been asleep for a little over a day.” Ilia sat at the edge of the bed. “Sun and I have been here for a couple hours now. Had to make a few stops.”

“Stops? Wait, how are Yang and Jacquelyn!?” Blake’s voice trembled. “Did any grimm attack on the way back? How-”

Ilia covered the girl’s mouth. “Take a breath, they’re okay.” She watched how Blake slowly lost tension in her body from her words. Ilia regretted covering her face though. Blake looked down at her red stained fingers. Knowing Blake, she probably could smell her too. Ilia removed her hand quickly. To know shock, Blake looked concerned.

“Ilia…”

“It’s fine okay? You told me what was happening and I had the means to get answers.” She justified, mainly to herself. “Those thugs were gonna kill me or worse anyways. I won’t lose sleep over it, much.”

Blake took Ilia’s hands and held them close.“Did Sun see?”

Ilia shook her head. “No, not entirely. I kept him out of the room but at the end I… well, disposing them was too much for me alone. His team did it without my input. I’d feel worse about it if I didn’t gain anything of value from it all.” Ilia got off the bed and walked towards a wall. A heavy and irritated sigh came from deep down. “Given what I’ve learned from you and Jacquelyn was it? If our incidents are related, then Adam is actually in Vacou. Underground, in a very old, very unsafe abandoned dust mine.”

Blake hung on every word said. Her gut twisted into knots from this new information and what she had smelled in Jacquelyn’s home. “How many White Fang members are in there?”

Ilia tossed her scroll at Blake. She watched as her face turned pale by what was on it. Dozens of pictures and videos in inferred signatures rising, then falling. Some got added, while others went dark fast. “Sun and I stopped to confirm the location we were told. It took everything I had not run into that place immediately. Blake, they’re just killing us. Regardless of if Adam’s alive or not, we need to-”

“Does Jacquelyn know?” Blake said, finding her voice again. Guilt spread across Ilia’s face. Suddenly, Blake feared the worst. “Where is she?”

“I couldn’t stop her.”

“You let her go!?”

Ilia threw her arms up, equally upset. “Like I had a choice!? You haven’t exactly told me important things, like knowing the winter maiden; Adam being alive and then being connected is another thing! Of all people not to tell, me? You watched me bury an empty casket out of respect for that guy. That shit gets to me!” Ilia began to pace around the room. “You fully know Adam is not this exclusive entity that’s only shaped your life. I had a right to know!”

“I know! I know…” Blake felt her blood rush and nails dig into her sheets. “You do have a right. I just… it was so confusing and I didn’t know things would… ugh, I’m not trying to make excuses okay? Listen, I swear I’ll come clean with everything but now is not the time. We need to catch up to Jacquelyn.”

“Stop deflecting! You’re in no shape to move anyways. Why would a maiden need help, and why does she care about-”

“Damnit Ilia, she’s pregnant with his kid!” Blake shouted. Her words had frozen Ilia in her tracks. Time was a thing Blake refused to waste. Even if the worst had already come to pass, Blake could at least save two lives; as well as any others that still suffered. Blake forced herself out of bed and passed Ilia, heading down stairs.

Her sense of urgency only got her as far as the living room before she saw Yang and Sun standing up, both alarmed by her swift actions. Yang quickly took hold of her by the wrist. “Let me go!”

“Hold on a second! Where are you going?”

Blake locked eyes with Yang. “Where did you think?” her arm tensed and tugged but couldn’t escape. “Did you even try to stop her, Jacquelyn?”

“You know damn well nothing I could say would’ve helped. Not like it matters. I doubt A-”

“SHUT UP!” Blake screamed as loud as she could. Anger and anxiety manifested as tears that threatened to run down her face. “As if you cared about what actually happened to him.”

Yang felt her hand trembling. Blake’s judgements gaze turned her own gaze to scarlet. Was coming here a mistake? Did this one man’s existence truly mean the death of one of Yang’s greatest relationships? The one she wanted to restore so badly? “You’re right… there hasn’t been a day I didn’t wish that stab killed him instantly, but what does that have to do with what’s right here, right now? You know as well as I do Blake that running off now means nothing without a plan or rest. You’re racing to a dead man.”

The tears finally fell, and they fell full with a silent wrath that Blake had never felt, or has been seen. “So what? Then I’ll save the body.” A burst of strength freed her arm and Blake didn’t look back. She ran, ran far and fast. Disappearances, murders, torture, how could this have all swept by her? Blake promised them peace. Blake hoped for peace, believed things were changing. Nothing had changed. Nothing, but the one person she never believed could. Blake was no High Leader of peace. Merely a leader of the blind.

Yang could only watch her partner race of, her final words still echoing clear. Saving the body, Jacquelyn had said the same thing. Yang looked at the hand that failed to reach her friend. “Why…” she clenched her fist tightly and began to cry. “Why can’t I hold onto you?”

Ilia had finally come down the stairs to see the end result of further friction. Sun pointed in Blake’s direction and Ilia took off running. “I’ll keep her safe. Call Ghira and Kali!” She didn’t stop to get a confirmation. She didn’t need it. “I’ll keep her safe Sun. For everyone’s sake.”

Ilia might not have been looking back but Sun nodded anyways. “Good luck.”

“Good luck? How could you say that right now?” Yang said trembling. “I’ll keep her safe?” Yang had reached her limit. Her head snapped towards him and grabbed his shirt. “HOW COULD THE BOTH OF YOU SAY THAT SO CASUALLY!?” She cried, shaking him. “HOW CAN YOU KEEP UP WITH HER WHEN I...I” Yang fell to her knees in defeat. It’s always been this way. Even from the very start. No matter how close Blake had gotten, Yang always felt like she was out of reach; while others, while Sun never failed to keep his stride. All that Yang was, could never take all who Blake is. It’s why their love broke down. It’s why Yang broke down. “How are you okay with this?”

Sun wasn’t sure what to think of all of this. He’s seen Yang upset, but never so...in pain. He knelt down and reached slowly for her hand, until she actively grabbed him tightly. “Yang, who says I’m okay?” Her body jolted. Yang’s head rose up to look at him. Sun could only offer a small smile and a hand to wipe her tears. “I’m scared out of mind. There’s so much I didn’t know like Ilia and things I wanted to say to Blake before she left, but didn’t. Not right now anyways. Ilia is the same, I'm sure.”

“Yet you stay here without question and Ilia follows her into a living nightmare without question!? How could-”

“Because at the end of it all, agreeing or not, comprehending or confused, I’ll stand by Blake to help anyway I can. You know as well as I do Blake follows the beat of her own drum, and she doesn’t know how it’ll turn out. People like you, Ilia, and I, we’re encouraged to, well, free to join in and add to the crazy beat. What we can’t do, is stop it. Blake will do it anyways. It’s why I love her so much. Easily her best, and most dangerous quality. That’s why she’s always telling people they’re free to leave. Blake’s never gonna ask someone to take part in her risks. Yeah, this situation is nuts; I’m definitely gonna chew her ear off by the end of whatever happens. Until then, nothing matters but making sure the end isn’t the worst it could be.”

Was that really his entire reasoning? She’ll do it anyways so might as well help. It was so reckless, dangerously simple, it was..Sun. It was Sun, and it used to be her too. Yang couldn’t count how many times she did something and Blake ran with it, or at least stuck around in case she needed help. Has that attitude changed? Yang didn’t think so. This situation though, it was… “You can willingly help Adam without a second thought?”

“Hmm? Of course not. I can help Blake without a second thought. If that leads to Adam, then fine. I’ll take him if I have to and be glad if there’s no need. Though, I know why that’s harder for you to do than me.” He squeezed her prosthetic. “Blake actually called me about you visiting. She was so happy to finally see you again. Even if things fell apart, Blake liked that you wanted to try. I’m pretty sure it’s the same with Adam. All Blake wants is a chance to have everything she dreams about. Pretty greedy, I think I’m a bad influence hehe.” He stood up and faced the open door. The light of the sunset had finally begun to fade. “Yang, is Blake in your dream ending?”

“What kind of question is that?” Yang held her head down. “You know she is. Honestly, Blake’s the last piece. I even have my mom back for crying out loud.”

“Ha, if that’s the case…” Sun reached for hand again and got Yang on her feet. “Dance to the end.”

A fire inside Yang felt ready to burn her up. It felt terrifying, yet nostalgic. How long had it been since she felt so exhilarated? Still Yang knew the price to pay for wanting everything. If she were to do this, she’d risk the future Jaune and her were going to have. Yang’s hand rubbed her stomach. No one would judge her for stopping now. Sun might’ve spoken differently if he knew, or maybe not? He’d probably tell her ‘everything’ would mean not losing Blake and the baby. Weirdly enough, there was beauty in that mindset.

“Sun?”

“Yeah?”

Yang smiled at him,then ran out the door. “I’ll keep those idiots safe!”

Sun could only cuff his hands around his mouth and scream with all of his heart.

“GOOD LUCK!” He pulled a small box out of his pocket and opened it to rub a ring inside. “Good luck...”

#rwby #rwby au #yang xiao long #rwby shackles #blake belladonna #sun wukong #rwby blacksun #ilia amitola #adam taurus #jacquelyn frost

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