#he doesn't want to wander around aimlessly with him and get attacked

[handfulofmuses]

Was thinking about Lofty’s post regarding TV series Orchis in season three and how he wants the General out of the picture at this point and it got me thinking.

Like I said before, Woundwort got him when he was alone and at his lowest. But now he is reunited with his brother.

Part of him wishes to just ditch everything with his brother because what’s the point? Woundwort will never appreciate him and he realizes that. He has enough of always receiving the shorter end of the stick, no matter what he does. Unfortunately, he already ditched his chief rabbit when Hazel and his warren attacked, so he cannot pull the same thing twice, not when he knows what punishment will await him for betraying the general.

Not to mention if he suddenly betrays him after trying to convince Woundwort that Campion is a traitor (again) what does that make him look like?

General Woundwort is safety - even if they left, where would they go? He is terrified of a repeat similar to Aspen. He doesn't want to lose his brother through a predator as well. So he stays by his generals side, thinking it’s the safer option for him and Orchis. So he remains by his side - because he also doubts that Hazel and his warren can take on general Woundwort, who has become more driven by hatred than ever.

[banj0possum]

Eat Your Heart Out

Yandere!Zombie Horde x Male Reader

Cw: Apocalyptic world, mention of death, poly relationship

A terato request by @xweirdo101x, hope you like it! (*´∀`*)/

Edit!! Nsfw content removed!! Apologies stinkers

💀 You don't remember the last time 'normal' was the norm in your life. Bustling streets became barren and gigantic cities were nothing but ruins and hot spots for survivors or whatever monsters ruled the surface now. Ever since the start of the virus outbreak, the world fell apart into something out of an apocalypse movie, where the only rule was survived and pray the infected doesn't find you.

💀 You could remember however, how this all started. not only was it because of a virus, but it was man-made. It was supposed to be humanity's saving grace, a way to cure all ailments and boost the abilities of whoever took it, but it turned out to be a horrific world-destroying disease that ruined the mind of everything it infected. Humans, animals, plants, almost everything mutated into mindless, bloodthirsty monsters.

💀 You winced at the memories of seeing the news on tv, the sight of people running and screaming from infected, their snarls echoing in your mind as the memory of seeing your friends die in front of you one by one flashed in your mind. You groan, knowing how hopeless it was in this world, but your will to live was too strong.

💀 Living in the ruins at was your town isn't so hard, there was always food to scavenge for in the old mall which you lived in, and you were the only one left to your knowledge so there was no competition for supplies.

💀 Although there was a tiny problem...

💀 A small horde of zombies decided to take residence in the mall as well. Unlike their movie counterparts, they weren't heaps of rotting flesh but pale-looking creatures that looked like they didn't eat in days, albeit with bits of their flesh missing but nothing too gross. They still moaned and groaned but at least they didn't smell from a mile away. At first you were very weary of them, but after a certain encounter, you found out they never seemed to be interested in attacking you.

💀 They were surprisingly docile, only getting aggressive at other monsters that wandered in the mall.

💀 You didn't know the virus mutated once again, allowing certain infected to regain a bit of their consciousness.

💀 The horde met each other through wandering aimlessly before bumping into one another, they formed somewhat of a pack or group of sorts, knowing they were all different from the rest of the monsters that infested the world.

💀 You noticed the horde would be around wherever you went, the food court, the arcade, the cinema, it was like they were following you.

💀 Although they never tried to eat you at first sight, you still didn't want a fight with an entire horde, so you avoided them whenever, much to their dismay.

💀 You would then see one of two of them follow you around. You'd be spooked for a bit before realizing they would copy anything you did. You jumped and yelped and the zombie following you would do the same.

💀 The zombie would coo and purr at you, sniffing at the air like a lost pup. You hesitantly put down your weapon and walk closer to him. You get out a soft 'hello' and the zombie gurgles out a 'hi' back, making you utterly astonished, taken aback by the zombie's intelligence.

💀 Ever since then you would study the horde and their behaviors. They all had different personalities which intrigued you further. You decided to give them names as you couldn't just call them 'zombies' all the time.

💀 One with the flesh from his right arm missing was named 'Screw' because of his tendency to collect shiny bits and bobs from the ground of broken objects. He was shy but loved to show you the things he's collected.

💀 Another had parts of his ribs showing, but surprisingly nothing inside was named 'Ribs' as he fiddled with his most of the time. He was curious and a bit hyper, always wandering the most and the fastest among them.

💀 One, which was probably the smartest, had only one eye, which he could move from one socket to the other by tilting his head was 'Soda' because he had the quirk of copying you eating or drinking. One time he copied you drinking a bottle of soda pop and he gurgled in happiness over the fizzy taste. He knew what certain things were if you told him and he recognized objects in pictures like dogs or planes, things you haven't seen since the first wave.

💀 The last and most likely the leader was named 'Bo' as he had a dog tag on him, probably from serving the military when he was human. Despite his stomach being missing he was weirdly strong, always protecting the rest of the horde when there were monsters that were more aggressive than most.

💀 You and the horde quickly grew a bond, sometimes they even found food for you or protected you from danger or even other zombies. You never knew what drove them to be so protective, but you were happy you didn't have to live alone anymore.

💀 You noticed the horde being more affectionate, being found wandering closer and closer to where you usually stayed. You figured it was because they were so close to you until one managed to make its way into the boarded-up store you lived in.

💀 It was Screw looking through your clothes, sniffing and rummaging your shirts and underwear, you remember they relied on smell a lot and assumed he wanted to look for you and followed your scent into your home.

💀 Unbeknownst to you, they were absolutely in love with you. They came to the mall for refuge and found something much better, a lovely little mate to call theirs, one soft and squishy and warm and very very tough, something that is important when surviving in the wastelands. The times where you would touch them whether it was a light brush on their hands or pats on their shoulders of heads were the best. Your warm body making contact with their cold, dead ones.

💀 The horde had enough of you hiding and running away from them all the time, playing a teasing game of cat and mouse with them, they wanted to take care of you don't you see? They won't hurt you! You're their little mate!

💀 Bo sent Screw to track you as he was always the one to follow you around back when they first came to the mall. He followed your scent to a small hole that was hidden behind a dumpster. He crawled inside and was hit with the most powerful smell of your sweet scent he could ever encounter. He coos, knowing he found your little nest.

💀 The others were standing by the dumpster, waiting for a signal from Screw that the area inside was safe for them to enter. Meanwhile you were trying your best to shoo Screw out, scared that he might hurt himself with all the delicate objects and weapons you kept in your home.

💀 Ribs heard your voice and gurgled happily, quickly crawling inside, Bo and Soda going in after him.

💀 You finally got a purring Screw in your hands as you spot the others entering your home through one of the entrances you made. You feel your eye twitch as you try to process what was going on.

💀 Screw was happily cooing in your arms as Soda limps over to you smiling and chittering, his hands on your arms as Bo curtly moves closer to you like a guilty puppy.

💀 You then notice you didn't see Ribs and you turn around as you're tackle-hugged to the ground by the zombie along with Screw, the two of them cuddling and rubbing themselves on you as you try to wriggle out of their hug.

💀 Soda leans down beside you three as Bo does the same, the four undead men now cooing and purring all over you.

💀 Now you don't really have to leave your little home as they would always keep you gently nestled in the bundle of blankets and soft things they found around the mall. They would take turns with whoever would stay by your side for the day as the rest wandered around in search of food or trinkets to bring back to you and maybe a survivor or two for a little snack.

💀 All in all, they can't get enough of you, and you can't help being stuck with a zombie cuddling you 24/7

i didnt mean to write them so asfjnakfeqkgkaeg they are such little meow meows i cant-

[multi-fandoms-posts]

Master? Part 1

Qimir x reader

"I'm sorry, Master," I say, falling to my knees. "You failed me," he growls. "Stand up," he orders, and I stand up immediately.

I look at my master. His face is hidden behind the mask and has something almost sinister about it.

He comes towards me and grabs me by the neck, but not so hard that I can't breathe. I was supposed to kill someone, but the person ran away. I wasn't concentrating and wasn't paying attention, and now I'm in trouble. "You only had one job. ONLY ONE," he growls, cutting off my air completely for a moment. I try to fight back, but the next moment he lets go of me and I fall to the ground. I stand up and just look at him.

"You have disappointed me, my little star," he repeats, and I feel a sharp pain. I don't want to disappoint my master. I look at the ground, ashamed. "I didn't mean to disappoint you, master," I say.

"You will travel to Olega. Someone is waiting for you there. You will receive further instructions soon, my little star," he says and disappears.

I look at the spot where he was standing for a while before I set off for Olega.

Olega

I'm wandering around aimlessly. My master hasn't told me who I'm supposed to meet here or where. It's frustrating. This isn't the first time he's left me standing there like this and only told me half the story.

"Hey," a male voice calls out, and I turn around. A few meters in front of me stands a man with slightly longer hair. He comes towards me. "You're Y/N, right?" he asks, and I look at him confused. "Yes, but how do you know?" I ask, astonished. "What do you think?" he grins. "My master," I say, and he nods. "I'm Qimir, and we're going to spend a lot of time together," he smiles.

Great, this could be something.

months later

I return from the mission injured. I open the shop door. "What happened?" Qimir asks worriedly. "It was an ambush," I growl and sit down.

Qimir gets some things. "Come here," he says. I stand up and sit next to him. "You have to take off your shirt," he says. I blush slightly, but take off my shirt.

"This might hurt a little," he says and cleans the wound. I wince in pain. "Shit," I curse. "I'll get it in a minute," he says and puts a bandage on. "Done," he smiles. "Thanks," I say and get dressed again.

Qimir and I look at each other for a while. We've grown closer over the last few weeks. I sigh before looking down. "What's wrong?" he asks, putting his hand on mine. I look at him.

"He hates me," I say. "What makes you think that?" he asks. "I killed Jedi and now I'm just his errand boy lately. All I get are missions to get me something and I'm sure he ambushed me to test me and I failed," I say. "Hey, he doesn't hate you," Qimir says. "How do you know?" I ask skeptically. "I just know," he smiles.

A few days later

"I have a mission for you, my little star," says my master, coming towards me. "I want you to travel to Khofar and kill the Jedi Master Kelnacca there without your lightsaber," he says. I look at him in shock. "Master, that's impossible," I say. "Are you contradicting me?" he growls. I quickly shake my head. "No, master," I say quickly. "Good, now go," he orders.

Khofar

I traveled to Khofar with Qimir. "Come on, we have to hurry before it gets dark," says Qimir.

We've been walking through the forest for what feels like an eternity. To be honest, I don't want to, but I can't defy my master. I'm too scared. He can be really cruel when he wants to be.

"I need a break," I say and stop. "No, no, we have to keep going, it's getting dark soon," he says. "Qimir, please," I say and he sighs. "Okay, but only for a moment," he says and I sit down.

“I need a moment,” I say and stand up.

I can't put Qimir in danger, I love him too much for that. So I decide to set a little trap for him. "Qimir," I call, and he comes immediately. "Y/N, what is...?" He is interrupted as he falls into the trap and floats upside down. "What the hell?" he says angrily. "I'm sorry, but this is too dangerous. I can't put you in danger," I say, grabbing my things. "I'm sorry," I repeat, kissing his cheek before I disappear.

It has now become dark, but I have finally found the Jedi's hideout. I immediately go in and sense the presence of the other Jedi. I look for the Jedi Kelnacca, but what I find sends a shiver through my body. He was killed by a lightsaber and I know who it was. I look outside. The Jedi have found me. I suddenly feel the dark aura of my master and I get scared.

I see him standing in front of the Jedi. When they try to attack him, he uses the Force and they all fly to the ground.

And then, then chaos broke out.

I watched him kill almost all the Jedi. He is currently fighting two and his mask falls. I am shocked at who is behind the mask. "Qimir," I breathe in shock and he looks at me. His gaze is ice cold. The Qimir I know, the caring, kind Qimir, doesn't seem to exist anymore.

I never thought he was my master. He looks so menacing and unpredictable. He uses the Force and pulls me towards him and grabs me by the neck. "You wanted to betray me," he says darkly. "N-No, it wasn't like that," I say, and he smothers me. "M-Master," I say and try to fight back, but he is just too strong.

He lets go of me and I breathe a sigh of relief. We are now very close. "Master, I would never betray you," I say. "My little star, of course you wouldn't do that," he says and strokes my cheek.

I am surprised at his gentleness.

“Kill them,” he says. “What?” I say, surprised. “Kill the Jedi,” he says.

[nyxthejinx]

Hiii! I saw your open requests and decided to send one! Feel free to ignore it!

This has been going through my head for some time now but what about scaramouche having a nightmare about reader leaving or betraying him somehow, then he would wake up and don't see reader besides him so he thought everything was real and then he sees reader just coming into the bedroom like "I just went to the bathroom- wth happened" or something like that.

A reverse comfort with a fluffy final! You can do drabble or headcanon, choose what you feel more comfortable and please do GN reader!

I'm sorry if there's any grammar or misspelling mistake. Thank you!

𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞.

So... Hi? I HAVE NO EXCUSES FOR HOW LONG IT TOOK OMFG I'M SORRY. It's been difficult these past months but now I'm finally getting back up so... Here you go 🥺

𝐓𝐖: Angst with comfort, scaracoochie having a bit of a panic attack and intrusive thoughts (wants to burn the house down💀), spoilers for his backstory, lemme know if I missed anything.

𝐅𝐭.: Wanderer - GN!Reader

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 538

𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨: rises the moon - Liana Flores

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬 as Wanderer releases yet another distressed breath.

It echoes in the silent, dark, but most of all, empty restroom of your shared house, the terrible truth he's rejected so adamantly now solidifies, heavy like concrete in his head.

It dawns on him fast and hard. Fills his lungs with water, makes his breaths shorter, ragged. He's unbelieving that you, out of all the people he's met in his long lasting life, would be capable of stabbing him like this.

He's checked every room, every corner and crevice. You had to be somewhere. It had to be a nightmare, confined to his wicked mind. And nothing else.

You couldn't be gone.

Not after everything you've said and done for him, after becoming the reason he stayed instead of wandering aimlessly, waiting for the end of time.

But his eyes are wide open, the hurt real in his artificial body.

You're gone and Wanderer feels like he's just been robbed of his heart once again.

Wanderer feels like he's going insane.

Wanderer feels. Mad. At you. At himself.

He grits his teeth, a poor attempt to stop his sped up breathing. The darkness, the silence around him clogs his throat like black smoke, the candle in his hand -one you gifted him- stops feeling like a beacon of hope and safety.

It's another knife in his chest, flickering along with the trembling of his hand, as if to mock his lack of self control.

It's feeble and pathetic, just like him.

Wanderer looks down at the yellow flame.

Burn it. Erase it. Forget it.

Burn it all. It wasn't worth your trust.

They're gone, just like last time, what else is left for you here?

He stares ahead but doesn't really look at what's in front of him. His eyes unfocused, vision blurred by something wet.

His grip slackens.

Burn. It. All-

"Love, here you are! You won't believe it, some drunkards were having a fight right on the walkway, I had to threaten them with my- are you alright?"

Just like a slap in the face your voice wakes him up from the second nightmare of the night.

He flinches, securing his fingers at the base of the candle. Wanderer turns around only to see your face twisted in worry, these features of yours he knows by heart downturned in a way he never liked.

One that never lessens your beauty though.

"Love?" You reach for his cheek, slow and delicate, cradle his jaw like freshly molded glass. "What happened?"

He leans in your hold by instinct, his free hand closing on top of yours, his chest deflating. It's amazing how your presence alone shatters the shackles that weighed on him mere moments before. Amazing how you ground him to reality with just one touch, dissipating all his deepest fears and worries and filling his soul with indescribable warmth.

He feels guilty for doubting you, he wants to say. He's had another nightmare, he's still taunted by unfounded doubts and thoughts, he wants to tell you.

But his lips are sealed and he can only melt as your arms enclose him in a gentle hug.

"Breathe love, I'm here, okay?" Amazing how you read right through him. "Always, for you."

You say and do things to him.

You're the reason why he stays.

You are home.

DON'T copy/repost my work. REBLOG instead! ©nyxthejinx

[idontknowmyownmind]

Another twin AU

At this point it's turn into obssession toward twin rokcale

The idea is, I'm not really sure because I just suddenly remember this one idea from, either a thread on twitter or fanfiction

I remember it's not a twin rokcale story but I just want to make one with them

I think it's gonna be a horror story?

In this AU, Cale is dead since he is just a young boy, maybe 10, before Lily born

After his death, there are bells around the mansion

Bells that's not chime even when a storm hit

There are certain pattern of the chime and each pattern mean different thing

Let's say that Cale's soul (or ghost) is somehow bound to the mansion so he can't leave anywhere

The family and older staff already got used by it

While the young and new staff need to push back their fear every times the bells chime

Because, some patterns will be accompanied with an eerie joyous laughter of a young boy or soft cries

They also need to get used with their young master Roksu talking to thin air and searching their 'young master Cale'

Sometimes even the count

None, beside Deruth and Roksu, can 'see' Cale translucent form or interact with him

But sometimes, Violan, Basen, and the Molans will senses his presence and indulge in his mischievous

On rare time, they can hear what he said even though only vaguely

One day, there is no sign of Cale anywhere in the mansion

The bells is silent for a whole day (something that never happens)

Roksu (15 y.o) search around mansion but can't get a glimpse of Cale anywhere

He is worried sick because he can't even feels his presence in the house

There is always this feeling that Cale is here even though the bell is silent but he can't feels anything at the moment

Roksu slowly panicked, he even got a panic attack after the whole day without his twin presence

He never really sad when Cale died, because Cale never trully leave

He is always there, although differently and forever 10

Where is Cale?

Well, he somehow sent into earth where Roksu used to life

(Forgot to mention, it's reincarnated Roksu without his memories until he is 18)

Cale wander aimlessly as a ghost, he kinda worried about his hyung because it's the first time he is away from home (from him)

He then met 5 years old Rok Soo and become his 'imaginary' friend

He never leave Rok Soo side and always there with him

Cale doesn't know why but this child remind him of his hyung and he want to protect him

Especially from that bastard uncle who dare to hurt Rok Soo

You know that one thing when a ghost feels strong emotion and just become solid and able to 'move' things around them? I think it's called poltergeist?

Yeah, Cale first time did that when he super angry with that drunkard he almost kill that bastard if not for little Rok Soo stopping him

After that, his uncle became more careful around Rok Soo in fear for angering his 'friend'

He stranded on earth for roughly 3 years before he suddenly found himself back to his home

After silent for three whole years, the bells around the mansion suddenly chimes again

Roksu who just got back from Ubarr with the whales frozen from a solid second before he run around the mansion in search for Cale

His new companions are confuse because it's the first time they see the stoic young master look distraught yet elated, calling someone named Cale they never heard of

Because the chime signs are both happy but also scared

Roksu found 'Cale' curled up in the gap between the wall and bookshelf in the library

Roksu heart is full of happiness because his twin is finally home but also worried because he is crying

He coax Cale gently and try to calm him down

The whales are confuse, and a bit scared, because they see Roksu talking to thin air and the bells around them keep chiming when there is no wind while the Molan and the Henituse look relieved and happy but also worried

If they focus, they would heard a soft cry of a young boy that sound eerie as if it's from someone from different plane of existence than them

Roksu delayed his plan to go to forest of darkness for the sake of staying with Cale

He stay in his original room (he refuse to stay there after his twin dissapearance) only with his twin, he even forbid the kids to follow him when he is inside that room

They spent all day together with Cale telling him what happened to him for the last three years

Roksu wonder if the Rok Soo is another him because he doesn't remember having an imaginary friend when he was five

And Roksu doesn't like that, because that's mean he has to share Cale with maybe his other self

Cale is his twin, only his and not that Rok Soo's

Cale asked him to find a way for him to meet Rok Soo because he is worried about him

Roksu told him that he will try but make no promises (he know he will not really try anything if it's mean keeping Cale beside him)

A month, Cale only home for a month before he dissapear again

In that month, Roksu's people learn about Cale existence and try to get used by it

Roksu know where he might be and feels a bit furious but he can't do anything about it

Cale back to earth and felt elated, immediately search for Rok Soo

He is surprised when he found out that ten years already passed, which mean Rok Soo is already 18 and the apocalypse already happened

Rok Soo who think that Cale as his imaginary friend who disapeared when he was 8, shocked when he is 'hugged' by the happy 10 years old boy who only him can see

Rok Soo feels happy despite the confusion

Everyone around him weirded out seeing him smile or talk into thin air and some of them who used to be an asshole to him stir away after some strange thing happen to them when they try to pick a fight with Rok Soo

LSY and CJS are also weirded out but also happy that their dongsaeng look more relax and dare they say happy

Although they feels goosebumps when, sometimes, they heard a soft laughter of a young boy around Rok Soo and briefly caught a glimpse of a boy with red hair around him that vanish the moment they do a double check

What if. Rok Soo. Is. The Rok Soo. From earth 2. Where Roksu. Do the test?

Roksu possesses Rok Soo and shocked when he see Cale

And Cale just know that it's not Rok Soo but his hyung, Roksu

At their last day, Roksu try to persuade Cale to come home which he then pout because he feels lonely because Roksu often out and he can't follow him

LSY and CJS who know about Cale from their Rok Soo try to keep Cale to stay a bit longer

Roksu may their dongsaeng from different world, but their Rok Soo will always be their priority

They don't want to see him sad like all the time Cale has to go home

They are curious of course what this Roksu relationship with Cale but they can't actually ask that

Oh! When Roksu got his plate broken, when he finally awake, his attention is immediately on Cale who look at him scared and angry

"Cale?" Called Roksu softly while reaching his hand toward him

By this point, his companions already used by this, even though they still feels odd because they can't feels Cale's presence let alone see him

Rather than went to him, Cale eyes waters and the bell chimes violently which alert everyone

Especially when things around them started to shake

But Roksu only focus on Cale who as the time goes by become clearer and more solid

Ignoring everything, he got out of bed and approached Cale

The others heads snap toward Cale when they heard a sob and shocked when they see a young boy with red hair suddenly there with tears streaming down his face

Choi Han almost stop Roksu but got a harsh and cold glare of warning from him

He slowly approach Cale, "Cale? Hey, are you okay? Why are you crying? Dongsaeng, it's okay. I'm here."

"Hyung you stupid!! Why are you doing that?! You got hurt badly! I thought I will lose you!! You said you don't like pain but you always got hurt!! You idiot! You idiot!"

Cale throw a tantrum while screaming at Roksu

Whithout thinking, he scoup Cale into his arms and hug him

His eyes widen because he can feels Cale in his arms, solid although cold

He may can see Cale all the time but he never able to actually touch him because he went through and it always feels like the caress of the wind

But right now he can hold his twin in his arm

He hug him tightly, letting him cry his eyes out while apologizing for making him worry

For a whole day, Cale is solid and Roksu refuse to let him go and keep him by side all the time

Of course he let his family to interact with Cale, but not after make it clear that Cale will not leave his super surveillance

[sunkissedandseraphic]

My Beautiful Boy

Summary: The saviors had attacked Alexandria, and all Rick wanted was to find his family among the flames and know that they were safe. To know his son was safe. (A rewrite of season 8 episode 9 where Carl doesn't die and Rick finds him safely in the sewers with the others, much to his great relief)

Word Count: 1.3k

Warnings: Mentions past character death, mentions past shooting

read on ao3!

With each heavy step, the smell of smoke hit Rick like a sack of bricks. His eyes wandered frantically, watching as fire engulfed each of the Alexandria buildings. His heart was in his stomach; his home, the one he and his family had rebuilt and made stronger to survive, was swallowed by flames. Everything they had created now reduced to a pile of ash. 

His leg was throbbing. Negan’s push out the window had truly done a number on him, but Rick couldn’t stop. He needed to find his family.

His beautiful girlfriend, whom Rick longed to cup her cheek with his calloused hands and kiss until the world melted away. His daughter, whom Rick wanted nothing more than to hold in his arms and press his nose into her bright blonde curls. His son, his beautiful boy, whom Rick would give anything to see smile and tilt that stupid cowboy hat down to cover his bandaged eye. 

He needed to find his family. 

Rick had been stumbling around aimlessly when he first heard the familiar sound of a machete and the woman who wields it. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears when he finally saw Michonne, reaching out and pulling her away from the Savior who was beyond dead now. 

There was so much Rick wanted to say, to tell Michonne, but each word got caught in his throat the moment he opened his mouth. “Where are they?” was all Rick managed to sputter out. He was so desperate to see his people again. His kids. Everyone he had left in this god-forsaken world.

Silently, Michonne led her lover to the sewer, where below, the remaining Alexandrians were awaiting safety and instructions on where to go from his shitstorm.

Michonne descended into the tunnel first, but once both of them had their feet on solid ground, Rick took off ahead of her. He hobbled as quickly as he could until he spotted bodies hunched on the floor against the sewer walls; crying, shaking, whispering. Living, breathing bodies of his friends.

Rick’s eyes scanned over the scene in front of him. He could see the outline of Tara and Rosita sitting beside each other– Rosita’s head leaned back and eyes screwed shut while Tara’s were wide open in horror, tears staining her cheeks as she stared out at nothing. He could see Dwight leaning his arm against the tunnel wall and resting his forehead on it, deeply breathing. He could see Daryl, his brother, bowing his head down as he sat with Judith, who swayed back and forth on her little legs. He could see a figure straight ahead staring at him, one Rick could feel he had seen before but couldn’t place how or why he knew the stranger.

The further forward he staggered, the more Rick made out the faces of those who sat in the sewer. Everyone in their tight-knit group, if not almost everyone in the community, seemed to be accounted for at that moment. 

Everyone except Carl.

“Carl? Carl… wh-where’s Carl?”

Rick felt his heart start to pound, stomach churning at the thought of his son not being in the safety of the sewer. It was getting harder and harder to put weight on his leg, but he pushed through the pain; Carl was more important. 

He felt as if he couldn’t breathe. Tears burned in Rick’s eyes, threatening to spill over any second. He wanted to throw up, punch something, yell his son’s name at the top of his lungs until his throat burned just so Carl could have the chance to find them. 

Maybe Carl was dead already. Maybe Carl had turned and was roaming around the scorched land as a walker. Maybe Carl was lost in the flames. Maybe– 

“Dad?”

Rick knew that voice. 

Rick’s head whipped around almost immediately and took a step forward, his leg threatening to give out underneath him. And then another. And another until Rick was practically dragging his foot behind him in an attempt to run toward the sound of his son’s voice. Running past Tara, past Rosita, past Dwight and Daryl and Judith and the familiar stranger until soon he was face-to-face with the one he had spent the last few minutes completely hell-bent on finding.

Just like that, there sat Carl Grimes with his back against the wall, completely unharmed, giving Rick the tiniest crack of a smile. 

Rick couldn’t do anything but laugh at that moment. He felt himself lose all control of his actions as he swiftly dropped to his knees and gathered Carl up in his arms. Rick moved the teenage boy onto his lap and just held him as tightly as his body would allow.

Rick felt like he was the dad he had been a decade ago, long before the dead started roaming the earth. It felt like when Carl was merely five years old again, waking up startled and sobbing from nightmares of a monster under his bed or the Boogeyman chasing him, when he would run into Rick and Lori’s bedroom to seek comfort and safety. 

As he held Carl in his arms, Rick felt every memory of his son rushing back to him.

The day Lori had announced to Rick that she was pregnant, and the utter joy and terror that flooded through him as he processed the fact that he would be a father. Holding Carl for the first time, bursting into tears the instant his son grabbed onto his finger with his chubby little fist. Watching Carl take his first steps, listening to Carl say his first word, Rick’s heart overflowing with love.

Celebrating Carl’s first birthday and his first day of school, wondering how his little boy was growing up so fast. Grinning as Carl came home gushing over his first-grade girlfriend, remembering how he ruffled his hair and called him “a little ladies’ man.” The pang of pain that hit as he realized how fast his little boy was growing up and finding who he was. 

Glenn taking a chance on Rick and leading him back to the camp that just so happened to be the one protecting Lori and Carl, every emotion he could feel rushing through him as he hugged his son. The day that he had carried Carl to Hershel’s farm after being shot by Otis, horrified he would lose him after just getting him back. The memory of Lori’s death, learning Carl had been the one to shoot his own mother. The night Rick had ripped a man’s throat out to protect his son from the monsters and what they threatened to do to him. The night Carl had been shot for a second time, now in the eye, thinking he would never hear his son call him “dad” again. Every day before, after, and in between Rick remembered as a blessing that he had his son with him. 

“Carl…” His voice broke as the tears that he had fought to hold back finally spilled down his cheeks. Rick could feel Carl burying his face into his chest, trembling as he quickly reciprocated his father’s hug. Gently taking off the cowboy hat and placing it to the side, Rick hung his head and pressed his lips to Carl’s hair.

His eyes were shut, trying to savor every ounce of this moment that he could. Rick kissed his son’s head once, then twice, and then after some time he lost count, too focused on the fact that Carl was safe in his arms– all he could ever ask for. 

“My boy…” The words softly escaped Rick’s lips as he somehow managed to hold Carl even tighter in his grasp. He had the world, his world, their future in his embrace, and he never wanted to let go again. “My beautiful boy…”

“I love you so much,”

Of course, Carl knew his father loved him, there was never any doubt of that, but it was so rare now to hear Rick say the words. As his tears began to dampen Rick’s shirt, Carl failed to hold back the sob that ripped through his throat; not one of grief or sorrow, but one of joy and relief. 

“Love you too, dad,”

[nexionswild]

IN WHICH you reminisce on the romantic time you've spent with arthur during the aftermath of his death.

includes: arthur morgan x reader [red dead redemption x dangerously yours]

content warning: angst, major character death, widowed!reader. [GN]

a/n: oh my god, i'm so sorry.. i don't know i felt a little silly today. hoping ya'll will enjoy it.

word count: 1, 094

You will look into the face of passersby.

Your mind went blank after Arthur's death, and ever since that day, you've been aimlessly wandering from city, how long has it been after his death? You barely know what time it is, you just knew it was around the afternoon since the sun refused to set yet. You've been thirsting for revenge, you've longed for the death of Micah and Dutch after they were the sole reason for the gang to fall out like that. But was it really worth it? You'd tell yourself, yes of course it is. But in the end, it brings no one back. It doesn't bring Susan back, or Lenny, or Hosea, or Arthur. Your beloved, Arthur.

The annoying yet hard working cowboy you've come to love from the very core of your heart. The cocky bastard who'd make fun of your sardonic personality, but essentially admiring your confidence and enthusiasm.

— hoping for something that will, for an instant..

You believed that somehow, in some miracle magic, that he came back to you. That he survived his attack, that he made it out alive and is just waiting for you somewhere safe and sound. Somewhere warm, where you'd picture him peacefully drinking a cup of coffee as he sat on the rocking chair by a fireplace. But each time you looked into the eyes of a stranger or when you stopped to take a good look at someone, it wasn't him. He never returned. He will never return. You just couldn't accept it.

Bring me back to you.

You couldn't believe how incredibly lonely you felt each night you spent on your own, you couldn't even get to prepare your camping correctly because of how your hands were shaking in nothing but pure emotional agony, you were devoid of all comfort and joy. The only time you felt some kind of positive emotion was when John invited you to his wedding with Abigail for celebration, but you couldn't help and think to yourself: if he had more time, would we be married? Would we be dancing the way John sways with Abigail? Would we share our drinks and taste each other's food?

The lack of noises, the sounds of the crickets and animals of all species ruffling and jumping around your area were the only noises that filled that aching silence. Not the sound of laughter, or bottles clinking, or Javier's songs with the melody of his guitar in the back as he sang.

You will find moonlight nights strangely empty because..

And each time you'd think about Arthur, his name escaped your quivering lips, dry from how you've been dehydrating yourself and concealed any type of self-care treatment. You were miserable, beat up like an old dog. You wanted him back.

"Arthur."

Your voice echoed in the empty valleys that you've been camping in for quite a while. But nothing made you cry more than the awful silence of your environment, and it only made you bring your knees up to your face, embracing your legs with your arms as you dug your head in between them.

Passersby would've heard your sobs and sniffles, but you made sure you were quiet enough not to be spotted by anyone.

When you call my name through them, there will be no answer.

You missed the way he touched you so lovingly, as if you were his world, and all his care bestowed upon you made you feel special than any person in this god forsaken country. The idea of his cuddles would put your throbbing heart at ease as you thought about it, the way his muscular arms would keep you warm the way the campfire would make you melt like a puddle of lava. You missed how he'd teasingly press his lips against yours as a hum resonated through your intimacy, or how he'd land a few pecks on the nape of your neck before eventually leaving in the intention of gaining money, whether it'd be through bounty hunting, debt collecting or robbery. You didn't mind his wrong-doings, to you he was a good man.

He was a good man because he loved you like you were the only woman in the world, and he stared at you with those beautiful blue eyes of his, admiring your beauty and smile. He was a good man, because all he's ever known is the life of an outlaw and his gang, he was simply the consequence of growing up in a bad environment. He wasn't perfect, but he was the perfect amount of imperfect. And when he made you understand that you'd certainly be doing a mistake loving all over him, a little voice in your told you he may not be wrong. And he wasn't wrong. Not because of the way he treated you, but because he's plaguing your mind and thoughts like a disease. He's spreading all over you to the point where you'd feel body tense and your fingers getting numb.

He's the cowboy you love, oh so much.

Always your heart will be aching for me.

And while you've been traveling with no objectives or not purpose, you could only reminisce about those long roads you and Arthur had taken together. Then, you think about the time he told you to leave him while he would've been on his own against a bunch of your enemies.

He knew the outcome if you swooped in, trying to be heroic. He'd lost so much, he didn't want to lose you, and for his sake, you only ran because he told you to.

He told you to go and don't look back, yet you keep making the grievous mistake of always looking back, in hopes of seeing him. You can't stop looking back, because that's all you know. You only know how to remember and miss, you only relied on Arthur because he taught you everything you know, and now that you're left without guidance or a voice of reason, what else can you provide? How useful are you, now?

He's been reassuring you that you could be a use for something, and he kept including you in missions although you weren't a part of Dutch's plan, and now that he's gone, what are you? A sad widow?

And yet you still convince yourself that it was the right thing to do, because that's what Arthur wants you to think. That you did the right thing.

And your mind will give you the doubtful consolation that you did, a brave thing.

[pomellon]

I would like to hear about your Digimon AU! I put way more thought than I figured I would have into a Digimon AU myself, similarly putting it in a 'self indulgent' category, but hey - maybe there's more interest than we think :P

Maybe! I'm glad at least someone has an interest tbh :D I feel digimon has become more and more niched in later years so it's rare I find other people who enjoy it. A shame since they've started going towards a more mature audience which has been really really interesting!

I will be explaining some terms of digimon lore for people who aren't familiar with it, but the setting of the au is similar to the Cyber Sleuth games, so a modern world with EDEN (physical interaction cyberspace network, think VR for social interactions) technology. Half the characters in this au are human and the other half are digimon, so!

Sam is an EDEN programmer whose personal laptop gets infected by a strange virus, and due to the program's odd behaviour and code he decides to quarantine it for later study instead of completely getting rid of it. Shortly thereafter he's sent to fix a bug within EDEN's cyberspace where he's attacked by a strange digital creature, only to be saved by a similar creature that turns out to be the virus that infected Sam's laptop. While it managed to defeat the aggressive monster it's very weak and injured after and Sam, now even more intrigued by the program, decides to help and nurse it back to health! This creature is Punz, a bee/leopard like digimon.

George is a Kowloon (the "graveyard" of EDEN that's full of old scarp data, inaccessible to most EDEN users) hacker who's just learned about the digimon programs that have started to appear in the depth of Kowloon. They've become popular hacking tools if they can be captured and reprogrammed, and luckily for George he comes across an injured one that is easily taken down. He does however quickly realize the program seems to be more than just a tool, having its own personality, wants and needs. So instead of reprogramming it like other hackers, George simply makes a deal with it, soon getting the creature's name, Dream, a chimera like digimon.

Karl is an EDEN user who's been affected by the EDEN Syndrome (a condition in which the person's physical body goes into a coma, while their mental data become trapped in cyberspace) and is wandering around aimlessly in Kowloon when he comes across a panda like digimon, Sapnap, who seems just as lost. Karl doesn't have many memories or a purpose so when Sapnap tells him he's been separated from his friends Karl decides to make it his mission to help him find them.

Tina is a popular streamer who likes to try out new games, meet up with fans, and generally spend most of her time within the EDEN space. One day she happens upon a small land-shark like program that she figures must be a glitched entity that has somehow ended up outside of its game. Seeing the creature injured she decides to take care of it, soon getting its name, Foolish!

All four digimon are a freelance/mercenary team in the digital world that during a dangerous mission gone wrong end up in the human world's cyberspace, separated and lost. The main plot of the au is for everyone to reunite, figure out why digimon are ending up in EDEN, and keep humans safe from the more aggressive programs that are threatening cyberspace!

[starpros-sunshine]

also i think that after seeing that Something is going out with his eichisama tori should also sneak into town to go and see what's the deal with this wataru guy. and he inevitably gets lost but meets hajime and they have a bonding moment barbie movie-style and him and tomoya help tori meet wataru. and then wataru sees tomoya and goes "oho! interesting child!" which once again leads to eichi unreasonable jealousy against this poor random kid

Okay so I've been thinking on this and I've been trying to get something coherent and bear with me right right.

(this got so long again I just started going into detail and detail and detail and oh god I am so sorry)

So Tori, poor, innocent Tori, has to come to terms with the fact that Eichi is hiding something from him (that "Something" being a tall blue-haired extra of unknown origin) and he knows that, technically, the mature thing would be to leave it alone. Eichi will have his reasons for being a little secretive about it. He has his own life and if he doesn't want to be open about...whatever it is that seems to be going on there.... then he doesn't have to be because the man has a right to privacy.

Tori knows that. But Tori also knows that being mature doesn't matter if, technically, his beloved Eichi-sama could be at risk of giving his heart away to a scoundrel that only wishes to play with him until he's bored and then throws him away, breaking Eichis heart in the process. We couldn't have that! And what if he's a criminal? Can you really trust someone who snoops around on other peoples property without their knowing? No you can't! So really it's only natural Tori wants to know what that guys deal is. Out of a genuine concern for his friend. Of course.

And so obviously it's a completely acceptable and normal and rational decision when he sees that Yuzuru isn't there for a moment to keep watch over him like the guard dog that he is (really Tori isn't a child anymore there's no need to be so overprotective) and the other staff members also don't seem to be around and Eichi is also nowhere to be seen, that he decides to take his coat and pack his little bag with some money (read: more money than just "some" money) and tries to sneak out of the house and down the path across the small meadow and the bit of forest that separates their not-so-humble abode from the small town where the other people live.

His inital plan simple. Go there; ask around a little, maybe try some tailing (after hearing stories from the other aristocrats about how one is able to hire people to follow their spouses around without them noticing - and that apparently being an actual thing people earn their money with - he's decided that it can't be that hard and he should try his luck.) and then leaving as quickly as possible, lest Yuzuru die of a heart attack after finding out Tori dissappeared. It would be quick and easy and nobody would ever find out. That was the original plan. But Tori very soon comes to find that that could prove harder than he thought when he notices he actually really really enjoys the feeling of not having anyone hover over him like some sort of falcon watching their prey.

The little river running by the path through the meadow is still frozen (It is winter after all) and the snow on the ground almost reaches his ankles. The 15 minute walk takes him 30 because he keeps jumping around in the snow (He's made three snow angels by now. For a second he has to think of his sister and of how nice it would be if she were here with him too and how they could make snow angels together were it not for her having to stay with their parents, but he pushes that thought to the back of his head again and decides to move on with his way).

When he eventually arrives at the town - and after just wandering aimlessly through the rather empty streets - there are three major epiphanies.

The first one is that he doesn't have a clear destination. He has no idea where to look for the blue-haired weirdo. The second is that, seeing as it is a forenoon in january, most people probably aren't spending their time outside. And if they are then they are at a different place than where he is. And the third and final one: He is completely and utterly lost.

It should be regarded as an accomplishment really. Getting lost in a town with a population of barely 300 locals living there. Indeed Tori would think it impossible. Yet here he is. If anything he's sure he's at least the only one who can claim this feat for himself. This is fine. He has this under control. If he just keeps walking then he's sure to come out somewhere (No there are no tears in his eyes anyone who says otherwise is just imagining things (he decidedly ignores the little voice in his head that tells him "Who's gonna say otherwise. Look around yourself, have you forgotten that you're all alone here?")). So the big brave boy that he is he marches onward, ignoring the way his fingers have started to feel numb from the cold and his eyes have not stopped watering and the little voice in the back of his head that tells him he should've just listened to Yuzuru (He banishes that one to the deepest depths of his subconscious very quickly. There are blows that his pride can take in these situations and then there's having to agree with "You should've just listened to Yuzuru". If There is one thing that can be said about Tori then it's that he is not one to simply give up. He has come this far and he'll be damed if he backs out now).

Lost in thought and not paying much attention to his surroundings (he has more important things to think about right now), he only manages to register a flash of blue in his peripheral vision. And because this could be what he's come here for in the first place but more importantly because this is a person and that is where the bar is set, Tori immediately tries to follow them. If Lady Luck is especially nice to him this time she lets this person be the mysterious stranger he's been looking for, but what feels like a day of walking through empty streets in the biting cold of a noon in late january have humbled him enough to not push it with his luck.

And when he turns the corner, calling out for the figure to wait, insted of the strange man he was expecting he comes face-to-face with a meekish looking boy with blue hair and big violet eyes and next to him there's a second boy, this one able to be described in all aspects with only one word: average. And for a solid ten seconds they all just stare at each other.

Tori doesn't really know how, he really has no idea, but somehow he ended up following the two home. Or, well, more or less. Following isn't really the right word here. After their almost-staring-competition on the street the meekish looking one with the blue hair asked him if he was alright because "he seemed lost" (he absolutely did not.) which then prompted an entire series of events that ended is Tori sitting in this strangers families home - with an entirely different stranger also there - getting a serving of what he assumes to be radish soup. Tori feels a little sorry for the boy, Tomoya, as he said his name was, who seemed like he was previously engaged in a conversation with the other boy, who later introduced himself as Hajime and who had spent the entire way asking him questions about how he ended up here and what someone like him was doing all alone in a sleepy village neighbourhood like theirs and if he really didn't need a tissue (He hadn't cried while explaining how he was lost. He totally hadn't) and on and on and on as Tomoya had to awkwardly walk behind them.

So now, sitting at this table with these two people who he has only met today and who have given him a bowl of soup to warm himself up with, he has to tell everything about how he ended up in this situation in the first place. At the end of his recollection of this oh so wonderful day he is met with two pitying looks an a laugh - apparently one of Hajimes younger siblings had joined them at their little impromptu gathering (he wonders, distantly, how his own sister is doing right now).

And as he's about to say that he should probably make his way home and resume his mission another time when he has a map, Hajime mentions that he actually knows the guy Tori is talking about and that he lives at the local inn and that that isn't that far from them and that he and Tomoya can walk him there if he wants to. Tori agrees immediately. He is so over trying to be discreet about it at this point he really just wants some sort of success in this kind of ridiculous endeavour he's set out on.

So after the soup is finished and his limbs don't feel like they're about to fall off anymore the trio goes on their merry way and Tori feels a little silly because for all the walking around he did before they reach this inn really pretty quickly... maybe he should've thought to bring a map... The three of them venture further into the inn, and Tori only overhears Hajime talking to an older woman, but he's more occupied with looking around the place. It's father homely and rustic, a completely different atmosphere than at their place. There are noises from the few patrons sitting at the tables and chatting with each other, but it only add to the cozy feeling of the entire place.

When Hajime comes back he leads Tori up a little stairway and down a dimly lit hallway. They stop in front of a door at the very end of it (in my head there's a bit of a terasse thing happening there like. you can look down into the part where the tables are and such right right) and Tori barely has time to mentally prepare for the fact that this really is happening now before Hajime knocks and the sound of muffled steps approaching the door can be heard.

When the door finally opens (it's been a few seconds at best but it feels like an eternity), Tori is greeted by the lovely view of a pair of pale clavicles, barely covered by a black linen blouse. He has to actively look up to look at the face of their owner and when he is met with a pair of sharp, purple eyes he feels like his throat just sew itself shut. Hajime explains to Wataru that Tori was looking for him and suddenly a light seems to go up above Watarus head as a look of recognition flashes over his face and he turns around to Tori again and asks him if he's "the princess that Eichi's been telling him all about". Tori is confused. Hajime decides that this is his cue to leave and he slowly backs away to go back down and collect Tomoya, who's been roped into helping out with the catering by some elder gentleman (Wataru watches Hajime as he collects Tomoya and they leave, intrigued by this strangely average boy, as Tori just stares in horror as the realisation dawns upon him that he is now completely alone with this man whom he didn't even intend on speaking to in the first place).

So now he is here. In this very awkward situation. Sitting on a chair in this strangers room (for the second time today! Did he ever have a day this eventful? Who knows! Tori for sure doesn't.). He wants to talk, but Wataru is faster and asks him what he's doing here. Tori doesn't really know how to reply. How do you talk your way around having to tell someone that you actually got lost on the way to spy on them. That's right. You can't. Well, Eichi could. But Tori is Tori and he never wished for that to change more than he did now.

He looks out of the window and it is at that moment that another three major epiphanies reach him. Firstly that he doesn't know what to do now that he's here, secondly that he's going to get murdered by Yuzuru (and if worst comes to worst also Eichi) once he gets back because he's been gone all day without telling anyone and they're probably all worried sick, and last but not least: it is dark outside. He can't go home like that. He is virtually stuck in this predicament he found himself in.

Wataru seems to have a similar thought, because the immediate follow up question after not really getting a coherent answer from Tori is if anyone knows he's gone. Tori shakes his head. If Tsukasa ever finds out about this mess of a situation he will have to die because he would never let Tori live that down.

He gets ripped out of his incoming spiral by the bird that takes a seat on his head and Watarus over-the-top contemplative sigh and the slight lilt in his voice when he voices the next issue that's in the room. He isn't even speaking to Tori anymore, but to his bird that sits on Toris head, Jeanne, and Tori is starting to get annoyed by the way he jokes about this entire thing, calling Tori a "a little bird that escaped its nest", as if he isn't stuck having to prepare for his untimely demise. And by the way this guy hasn't put down his cryptic smile and teasing voice ever since he entered the room. When he thinks things can't get any more awkward for him Wataru proposes two options. Either he walks him home, or Tori has to stay at the inn for the night and he brings him back in the morning. Tori decides he'd rather go back home sooner than later (he'll have to take the lacture either way and he's probably caused everyone enough worries by now anyways. And also he misses his bed.). So Wataru grabs his coat, quickly goes to tell the inn-keepers he's "bringing retuening the princess to ger people" (Tori doesn't know if he liked the bird comparison better or not).

The way back is still very tense because Tori does not dare to walk next to Wataru (he's sketchy it's not Toris fault it's a normal reaction) and so he just awkwardly walks behind him, He doesn't really watch his surroundings - it is dark and the only nice thing is that it's snowing and there are animal sounds and they are spooky and he needs to watch the way and it's easier to think that way - until suddenly he gets hit by a snowball right in the head. And he is so baffled by this that he just stares at Wataru, and Wataru grins at him with his stupid stupid grin and somehow they end up in a snowball fight on this meadow where the only reason you can see anything is because of the snow and when they finally arrive at the mansion they both have so much snow in their hair and their clothes are wet from the melted snow and when they knock on the door and wait for someone to open Wataru gets some of the snow out of Toris hair and says that that snowball fight can be their little shared secret and Tori grins back at him and agrees and when the door opens and both of them are frantically ushered in by a maid that tells another one to get Yuzuru and Eichi Tori decides that maybe this guy isn'r so bad after all. Maybe he's actually quite nice.

[rivertalesien]

I want to ramble about Picard season 3, episode 1, The Next Generation. Spoilers ahead.

The Wrath of Khan soundtrack and starfield/opening title ("In the 25th Century...") wasn't really necessary to lay on how thick it is referencing that film, which is odd, because it wasn't a Next Generation film. It sort of reaches back to the Old Glory Days and it's a little ill-fitting. Fun, but ill-fitting.

Because I'm not sure we needed Beverly Crusher's story to be, once again, all about a man.

In this case, her "son," whom we meet in the final moments of the episode.

And who is this young man, exactly? I'm hoping it's a red herring and that he's not her actual biological child (not that older parents aren't unheard of, but is the show saying Beverly went off and had a kid by herself at age 50+?), but maybe a plot thread left over from Nemesis: namely, another Romulan-created clone of Picard?

Since we learn Beverly cut off from her old crew mates just after the events of that film, this might be a logical direction and suggestive of the story she is currently dealing with, being chased by unknown (Romulan? Borg? I believe Jack mentions their faces kept changing?) villains who clearly have some kind of score to settle.

Has Beverly been on some decades-long secret mission (she seems to be flying around in a Starfleet vessel, interestingly named Eleos...after the ancient Greek goddess of mercy and compassion -- or angel of mercy -- suggesting this is/was a medical ship with a specific mission), or did she leave Starfleet and venture out on her own into some kind of major trouble? Does it have anything to do with Raffi's investigation into "The Red Lady" and the horrific attack on that Starfleet outpost?

Interestingly, "The Red Lady" turns out to be a reference to a statue of Rachel Garrett, Captain of the Enterprise-C, a ship that followed a rift in time and met with the Enterprise-D crew in the classic "Yesterday's Enterprise." In that episode, Tasha Yar lived through the alternate timeline created by that rift, only to join Garrett's crew and go back in time, and later, to Romulus. Couldn't be a coincidence, huh?

In Wrath of Khan, if you haven't seen it, Kirk is a haunted character: first by his own aging self, wandering aimlessly into retirement. Second, by the return of a lost love, embroiled in the creation of a great scientific invention that, unfortunately, is turned into a terrible weapon. He's also haunted by an old enemy, who just happens to get his hands on this weapon.

And in the midst of the story, Kirk meets the son he never knew (but clearly knew about).

Along the way, he loses his closest friend, mentor to a talented trainee of logic and skill, but lacking some experience.

In this episode, Picard is playing both Kirk and Spock, insomuch as he mentored Seven (their Borg connection making them almost familial), hasn't seen Beverly in years and there's clearly an enemy out there gunning after Starfleet and maybe it's using something Beverly made or found or tried to hide from them.

As for Beverly's "son," Picard is clearly surprised by the revelation. If he and Beverly ever had intimate relations (when asked by Laris if he and Beverly had been lovers, he only said "they tried"), and she got pregnant, why would she have kept it from him? Doesn't sound like their relationship at all. Beverly was, above all, a compassionate person and I doubt would have kept a child they had together from him.

Unless...the child would be in danger somehow? Did Beverly worry she'd have another Wesley who would turn out to be some higher being and disappear? There's a few possibilities, each one a little convoluted, but I can't picture her keeping this a secret, even if it were someone else's child. In any event, she named him Jack, presumably after her late husband (which is also the name of Gates McFadden's real-life son).

But the show is clearly setting us up to believe he is Picard's, (unlikely English accent and all), and maybe he is, but maybe not in the way we think. If he's another Romulan clone, that might make a little more sense: Shinzon had a similar accent, but he was also damaged goods, dying from his faulty RNA (he needed a blood transfusion from Picard in order to survive). Does Beverly's son have the same issue? If he is a clone, is there still a Romulan plot out there to destroy the Federation? Revenge for Shinzon's death, perhaps?

Who is Amanda Plummer's character? We know her name is Vadic, which sounds a little Romulan or Vulcan (didn't notice any pointed ears though), her ship looks much like the Romulan mining vessel the Narada from the rebooted Star Trek film (2009). Is she another Picard clone?

Or, if keeping with the themes of this series, a former Borg? Will this wind up being *The* Borg origin story? The new "queen," Agnes Jurati, warned of a major threat last season: looping this all around would make sense.

After all, why was Beverly playing Picard's logs from during TBOBW part 1? Trying to remember something? A detail missed that might help her?

She was clearly prioritizing saving her son during the attack on their ship: not just a mother's role, but maybe for a very specific reason. Is Jack wanted by the enemy? A new Locutus? She certainly made sure her enemies were DEAD (absolutely vaporized, and, therefore, unable to come back like some Borg have done).

What role do Moriarty and Lore play in all of this? Denise Crosby is back, but as Tasha or Sela, her Romulan daughter? With the Garrett mention, perhaps even her story ties into Borg origins.

In Wrath of Khan, Spock winds up sacrificing himself so the Enterprise can warp away from the soon-to-detonate Genesis device; in this first episode, Picard mentions he is not a man who needs a legacy, suggesting he has one he doesn't know about, or, maybe, comparing him to the egoless Spock, who felt his own legacy secure in his chosen student, Saavik.

In any event, someone is out to destroy the Federation (leftover plot element from Nemesis) and we have more questions: who is Raffi's secret boss (Sela? Moriarity? Lore? Some as-yet-unknown figure I've got a sawbuck on Worf, especially after the "You're a warrior" reference)? Is her cover now blown since she announced herself to the Starfleet base? How does an obvious bigot like Shaw get to be a Starfleet captain? Did season 2's alternate universe/time travel silliness create a whole new parallel universe? What's going on in the Riker-Troi marriage? How is the Enterprise's former Chief Engineer now a museum curator? Was Worf cut off from Beverly too or has he got some deets?

Anyone else glad Riker and LaForge had daughters because it seems like no one in this universe ever has them (Data had to build his own)?

Anyone else think Picard is going to sacrifice himself in the end? Maybe while helming his favorite love, now possibly housed in, oh, a museum, say?

Just as he was about to embark on a new adventure with Laris, his story comes full circle and, maybe, to an end.

Or maybe it all finishes with one line:

"Computer: end program."

[thessalian]

Faerun!Alisaie vs Moonrise Towers

And, up at Moonrise Towers, where eeeeverybody hates us now, and there are an awful lot of charred corpses

Alisaie: Well. Are we sure Aylin needs us here?

Jaheira: You want her to have all the fun?

Alisaie: No, but given she's left holy fire everywhere to burn the shit out of everybody? I think she might be a little careless about her allies. Then again, she's been trapped as living source of perma-healing for gods know how long, so I guess her being all killing-frenzy is understandable. Wanna come with?

Jaheira: I would not miss it.

Shadowheart: I still want to know what his deal is. I mean, maybe it's just me unevenly lapsing out of a cult, but I know what I did to start that uneven lapse; what the hell did he do?

Alisaie: Fuck if I know, but I figure it has something to do with his wife or some shit like that. Love makes you do the wacky. Anyway, let's go.

A long protracted fight with a whole lot of cultists later

Jaheira: Why are we wandering aimlessly around this tower?!? We need to get to Ketherick!

Alisaie: Potions, poisons, better weapons--

Gale: Ooh, books. *yanks protruding book from shelf*

Zombies: *rise and start attacking people*

Gale: WRONG BOOK!

Alisaie: Why does he even have that book?

Stabnation: *is incredibly brief*

Gale: All right. Carefully. *pulls another protruding book*

Pedestal: *clicks*

Gale: All right ... this is a locking mechanism. I ... don't know what it needs to make it open, though. Doesn't look like a key.

Alisaie: Given the fact that most of these acolytes are carrying humanoid hearts? I can guess.

Gale: *puppyeyes*

Alisaie: ...OhforfuckssakeGale... *picks up heart* Ew ew ew ew ew ew... *puts it on the pedestal*

Secret Room: *opens*

Controller Person: ...Given what happened in my own D&D group a few sessions ago? IRONY.

Once the looting of the tower was done, up to the roof

Ketherick: YOU! WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?

Alisaie: Huh. You've actually heard of me. I thought I left fewer of your so-called family alive to talk about me. Anyway, I restored the natural order. Big whoop.

Ketherick: Welp. Don't know what you expected to get out of this. Not like I'm getting redemption any time soon.

Alisaie: There's always a place for redemption. And while killing you would be kind of justified, given the shit you've pulled, I'm feeling like being the better person and letting you fucking repent before you die, just so you can see your poor dead wife again. Who would really not agree with any of this bullshit. Just FYI.

Ketherick: For a seeming pragmatist, you have some weird ideas about being able to redeem yourself from anything.

Alisaie: Where there's life, there's hope?

Aylin: KETHERICK THORM, YOUR LAST HOUR IS AT HAND!

Alisaie: *facepalm* OhforfuckssakeIwasgettingtohim...

Ketherick: Okay, no, hell with this. BOW.

Artefact: *says NOPE*

Ketherick: YOU had it this whole time?!? Oh, that's it; I'm just going to break you people.

Stabnation: *ensues*

Stabnation: *is interrupted by giant tentacle yoinking him away and down*

Ketherick: *as he's yoinked* AND YOU'LL GIVE ME MY DAUGHTER BAAAAaaaaack...

Jaheira: His dau-- wait. ISOBEL? Oh, FUCK no.

Alisaie: Explains a lot about why he sent that Marcus jackass, though. Anyway. That happened.

Wyll: Maybe we should have explored the dungeon a little more.

Alisaie: And let a bunch of traumatised tieflings and deep gnomes either sit in jail or go down into what's probably a fucking mind flayer colony? Are you nuts?

Wyll: No, but--

Jaheira: Hey. This is interesting and all, but... You're going after him, right?

Wyll: My father's probably down there! As well as some devil I really don't give a shit about but who not-saving might turn me into a lemure!

Gale: That's a thought. If it is Mizora as Alisaie theorises, would she be able to turn you into a lemure if you didn't save her? Does the contract extend past her death or mind-flayerdom or however that works?

Wyll: Much as I hate to say it, but if we don't rescue her, at best they get a powerful mind flayer. At worst? One of these True Souls with the power of a devil!

Alisaie: And it is all the leverage in the world to get her to break that fucking pact.

Jaheira: Excuse me, but Ketherick is below and he needs killing!

Alisaie: Yeah, and we're getting there, but we need a breather. And I'm honestly more worried about what we'll have to go through to get to him than I am about facing him again.

Jaheira: ...The fuck?

Wyll: Alisaiiiiiiie ... what did you do?

Alisaie: I haven't used the magic part of my ability suite for so long, you all forgot I had it, didn't you? I cast Heat Metal on him ... and he dropped something. *holds up Ketherick's hammer*

Gale; Wyll; Shadowheart; Jaheira: ...............

Shadowheart: One of the many reasons I love that woman. Let's go.

[believemetheodore]

I'm not scared of death (I've got dreams again)

Ted Lasso x Rebecca Welton

But his thoughts have layers, and the emotion of remembering crashes like a wave. So, he tries to breathe and pieces together the words he can find, hoping to convey even a fraction of how he feels. Or Ted and Rebecca take a drive past his childhood home. inspired by The View Between Villages by Noah Kahan

Warnings: Ted's dad, parental loss, discussions/themes of suicide, mentions of blood, grieving (let me know if you want me to add anything else) _________________________________________________________

If Rebecca built up walls, he's built up hedge mazes. Together they've climbed over a few of Rebecca's defences; put sledge hammers through others. But, now they wander aimlessly through topiary corridors, the labyrinth he’s constructed with all his tools of self-deflection.

And here, standing in front of his childhood home Ted feels as though he's in the thick of it. Unsure of how to proceed he decides to be honest; putting a metaphorical chainsaw through the winding hedge walls.

“My father died here,” he says.

His parents bought the house when he was a baby. It was supposed to be their ‘forever home’. Powder blue siding, white trims, and a red front door, with a backyard that felt acres big when he was a kid.  

He grew up here. Took his first steps here. Got attacked by a dog here. He learned how to ride his bike here. Befriended the dog that bit him here. His first words, his first real kiss; sleepovers; Christmas mornings; Halloweens; there's not an inch of that house that doesn't have a memory in it. 

He wishes he could lift it up and shake it out, sort through each moment and take only the good away with him. 

“It's funny,” he says to Rebecca, never more grateful to have her hand in his, “when you're a kid, every scraped knee feels like it might be the end of the world. Every stomach ache feels like it's gotta be the most painful thing you'll ever feel. I was so naive. So innocent…I didn't think--” his words fail him. But Rebecca's support doesn't falter. 

“Do you want to leave?” She asks. 

He shakes his head, swallowing hard, silently trying to catch up to his own thoughts. 

“You were still a child, Ted. And regardless-- I don't think there's a manual for how to deal with the loss of a parent,” her sentence trails off more than it ends. He knows she's tip-toeing around the nature of his father's death. Ted doesn't blame her for it. He does the same thing.

“I know that it's not something I'm ever going to recover from completely. The good doctor keeps reminding me of that. But, I thought it was getting easier-- I've been getting better at talking about it. But being here again…it's different,” he does his best to express himself, remembering that it feels better to get it all off his chest. 

But his thoughts have layers, and the emotion of remembering crashes like a wave. So, he tries to breathe and pieces together the words he can find, hoping to convey even a fraction of how he feels. 

The truth is he can't. There's no way to impart to anyone how shattering a gunshot really is. He has no way to communicate how long the scent of blood lingers, or how he can no longer smell bleach without being haunted by a phantom metallic stench.

He can't recall the sight in specifics, thank god, and Doctor Sharon says that's common enough. Finding his father like that was a trauma, and the human mind is capable of blocking out some of the worst bits. Knowing it happened is painful enough without the visuals. 

He can recall the fear though. The shock, the confusion, and the agony of loss. 

He remembers the aftermath, and the first day he and his mom stepped back into that house after it had been cleaned. The room where it happened sat empty, neither of them even dared to open the door, even knowing that any trace of the tragedy had been scrubbed away. 

Morbidly, he'd lie awake at night wondering what the neighbours thought, what strangers thought that room had looked like that day. Over exaggerating, or romanticising the worst day of his life. 

Now he wonders what the new owners think. Do they use that room? What rumours have they heard? 

The house no longer feels like a home, it's more of a monster lurking. And Ted thinks that might be why London has been so healing. It was damaging always knowing his personal demon was just a couple of streets away, with an unexpected road closure or detour always threatening to take him past the house of horrors. 

He drove past it a few times with Henry, wondering if he'd ever be strong enough to tell the little boy about what happened to his grandpa, and why his father's heart still aches. 

Henry asked, “if that was the school you went to, did you live near here?” 

Ted’s hands gripped the steering wheel tight, resisting the urge to clench his teeth. He lied, “ya know, I don't really remember”. 

Because how can he begin to explain that bile starts to rise in his throat a block away and that his stomach doesn't settle until he can no longer see the faded blue exterior in the rearview mirrors? 

“Because you're old now?”

“Yeah, buddy. Something like that”.

But no matter how much he wants to forget, there’s always so much to remember. Forgotten moments wedged between the floorboards, and whispering from inside the walls. The home in his mind's eye is nothing compared to standing outside on the sidewalk, face-to-face with the structure. The details of days and nights that had seemed so insignificant when they happened, scream out at him now. As loud and unforgiving, as they are comforting and nostalgic. 

A couple of days after his seventeenth birthday, and a little over a year after his father's passing, the town felt as though it had fallen silent. 

The seasonal sounds of backyard barbecues, and children who had made every inch of the neighbourhood their playground teetered out slowly, then all at once. Warm days had given way to truly cool evenings and without the white noise of the cicadas buzzing Ted found it tough to fall asleep. 

His Ma hadn't asked any questions when he took the car keys for a late-night drive. It had become routine. 

While his new habit was beginning to cost a fortune in gas, it felt like a small price to pay. To drive until the music on the radio drowned out his thoughts, and the wind blowing through the rolled-down windows reminded him he could still feel. 

Usually, he'd start out in the suburbs, winding his way through cookie-cutter streets, and he'd keep going only turning back when the asphalt became dirt roads stretching all the way out of town. 

But something had shifted inside of him, age seventeen and a few days. He just kept going. And the longer he drove, the faster he drove. Flooring it, the tires kicking up dust behind him. He wanted to scream. To cry. To throw up. Faster. His heart was racing, and the steady pounding of his own pulse rushing in his ears was failing to block out the echo of the gunshot playing on repeat inside his head. 

He hated his father for what he did. To him. To his mom. For leaving them both alone. But Ted also hated the way he'd let the rage within him grow and fester. Burning himself from the inside out. Faster. 80. 95. 100 mph. 

A rogue cow wandering from its pasture startled him to his senses, slamming on the breaks he swerved, the car spinning before he was able to steer into a skid, narrowly missing the animal in the middle of the road. 

Nothing could've stopped the manic, watery laughter that escaped his lungs. His chest heaving for breath as he sobbed and cackled at the same time. It was like all of the air was being knocked out of his lungs, sucker punched by every emotion he'd been pushing down, and shoving aside.

 The rush of adrenaline left his hands shaking for the entire drive home. But still, he said nothing about it to his mother. He set the car keys down in the bowl by the door and then met her in the kitchen. She was sitting and doing a puzzle at the dining table.

“You alright Teddy?”

“Of course, Ma. Just needed to clear my head” he grinned, pressing a kiss to her cheek. 

“I worry about you when you waltz back in here so late,” she confessed, crossing the room to put her empty water glass in the sink. 

“Waltzing you say?” And his laughter gave him away as he took her hand giving her a slow twirl before hugging her. 

“I'm okay, Ma. I promise”. 

There’s a guilt that comes with trying to forget, and now more than ever Ted is realizing that it’s not possible to erase a moment in its entirety; and try as he might, it’s not possible to suppress the bad without losing some of the good as well. And, just the same, there will always be great days, that get touched by the worst ones.

Watching Henry pick up a set of darts on his first trip to London, felt like a thousand pinpricks across his skin. It felt like watching his own childhood from outside his body, the hand of his father’s ghost on his shoulder. When Ted decided to do his white knighting for Rebecca, and picked up the same darts that Henry had held, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to get his heart to stop racing. Looking back, it felt good, to peel back the layers just enough to let his heart fill with a fondness for his father; to be able to hold the memory of his dad in his hands and decide what to do with it rather than allow himself to be consumed by it. 

Doctor Sharon had done the same thing for him, asking him to tell her about something he liked about his old man. 

He tries to do the same thing now with Rebecca, concentrating on the way her thumb rubs circles across the back of his hand. He’s sure she doesn’t even realize she’s doing it. It’s a relief he wasn’t expecting. Michelle knew about his father, but she could never stomach Ted reminiscing. She was, and still is he supposes, an advocate for leaving the past in the past. He respects that perspective, and always understood her reasoning. Everyone copes differently. In hindsight, it was just another way they didn’t match up, and he doesn’t hold it against her. 

But Ted knows he needs something different, and he deserves someone who can help him navigate that, so he can help them with their baggage too. 

Rebecca has been that person, and Ted lets himself cry; to feel all the things he resisted for so long. He doesn’t pick and choose, holding everything all at once, valuing it all in equal measure.  

“I fell out of that tree,” he sniffles, pointing to the green leave branches that now tower above the house, “broke my arm that summer”. “Were you a clumsy child?” Rebecca asks. He shakes his head, “Nah, just enthusiastic, and long-limbed”. 

She laughs, and he’s glad for it. He tells her about his memories as they come to him, shimmering little gems he hadn’t been able to see from all the dust he’d allowed to collect. It doesn’t fix anything, there’s nothing to fix, but it eases the weight on his chest and lessens the metallic taste in his mouth. 

They drive back to his Ma’s house, across town. The windows are down and the radio playing low. He glances at Rebecca at every stop sign. She’s stunning under the yellow glow of the streetlights. And it all feels so simple all of a sudden. 

His smile grows as they pull into the driveway, Henry dropping his basketball in favour of tackling them into hugs. Rebecca, it turns out, is pretty good at free throws. And when Henry says, “Yeah, but Rebecca is good at everything!” 

Her green eyes meet his, and Ted feels the now familiar feeling of another hedge maze wall collapsing inside his heart.

[ceciliablossoms]

headcanons where Diluc, Thoma, Childe and Signora notice their close friend is acting strange (zoning out, tearfully muttering to themselves when they think they're alone and trembling) but act like nothing's wrong. When they're confronted about it, they look desperate/terrified, starting to ramble about how their parents had picked a fiance for them who seemed and acted nice, but one night had cornered them in a room and felt them up. They tried to tell their parents, but was accused of lying and they feel close to losing it.

sorry if this seems too dark, you can skip if you want ;;;

I don't write for Signora unfortunately but I can do the other 3 no problem

The fiancé(e) will be gender ambiguous

Man the Genshin burnout and my depression is effecting my work ethic,,, sorry y'all

TW: arranged marriage, SA, parental abuse?, Slight yandere elements in Childe's

Thoma

Immediately knows that there's something wrong the second he sees you

When the muttering starts and spacing out becomes frequent, worry begins to gnaw at him

And when you get worse it makes it hard for him to sleep at night

He's beyond worried tbh

Like extraordinarily so

He invitee you out for dinner, intending to ask you what the matter was

But when you immediately start crying as soon as he brings it up, he briefly panics

But pulls you into a hug without hesitation

Mutters to you quietly until you calm down

Won't pressure you anymore after seeing how you reacted

But when you come to him a few days later in tears, eyes wide with fear aand voice desperate as you explain everything that's happened to you over the past couple months

The groping and fondling, the accusations, the smug smile of the one who touched you without your consent and got away with it

He's absolutely mortified

He consoles you, reassures you, tells you he believes every word

And most importantly he stays with you

Rocking you back and forth in a secluded room in the back of the teahouse

So nobody else can witness you fall apart

So no other prying eyes can see you crumble

The last thing you needed was someone telling your family

After all's calm he tells you to stay put

He puts a hand between your shoulder blades as he pulls you into a hug

And in a soft voice he says he'll be back quickly

Then he leaves you in the teahouse

Steps out and uses his connections to find out about your so called fiancé(e) before returning to you

And after a few days he's got what he needed

He finds out your 'lover' in question has done this before, with multiple men and women alike

The non discriminatory sexual harassment of multiple people in the area and several past convictions of the same thing

The hyper aggressive attitude towards those who reject their advances

Even the physical violence charges filed against them when they attacked someone who reported them to the Tenryou Commission

He compiles all information he can and discreetly leaves it for your family to stumble upon

You run to him overjoyed at the news that your marriage has been called off

And your fiancé(e) subsequently arrested

He's happy for you, smiling wide and offering to buy you dinner to celebrate

-

Diluc

Doesn't beat around the bush

He knows something is wrong the instant your behavior changes

He asks as soon as you're both in a comfortable setting in which it's safe to do so

As soon as the question is out in the open the look in your eyes becomes distant

And he's concerned all over again

After several moments of silence, he explains why he asked but says he respects your decision if you wish to keep it to yourself

The atmosphere in the room didn't go back to normal that day

Several days pass before he sees you again

And you looked worse than you had before, wandering aimlessly around town

He whisked you into the Angel's Share and sat you at the bar

The tavern closed early but the majority of the patrons new of your closeness with Diluc

They didn't fault him for it

Once the building was empty he made you a drink and sat next to you quietly

Waiting patiently for you to settle down, unsure of what to say

When you tugged on his sleeve to ask for affection, he obliged, resting his chin atop your head until you were fully calm

You apologized for your absence but he brushed it off, asking you what was wrong

You could tell how worried he was by the look in his eye, a rare moment where he shared his feelings openly

You swallowed thickly, but nonetheless told him everything

From the assault to the accusations of lying and your family berating you for what they saw as an excuse to weasel out of your marriage

You began to cry again and Diluc was angry

He offers you a room at the winery for the time being and waits for you to fall asleep

He slipped out of the room and went back to Mondstadt, to your family's home

Your father answered the door, a panicked expression across his face, worried sick at the thought of his child running away

He looked past and saw your fiancé(e) comfortinf your crying mother

He recognized them immediately

A regular at the tavern, a drunkard well known amongst the patrons and bartenders for beinga nuisance and avid menace

Constantly hitting on and feeling up other patrons, occasionally starting bar fights

But they were rich and always buying silence and paying off others as to not let their reputation be ruined

He looked back at your father and asked to speak with him privately

And once he agreed, Diluc relayed all the horrible things he'd witnessed your fiancé(e) do at the tavern

He told your father he'd heard of the marriage and came to offer to help catering but upon noticiting who it was you were marrying, he couldn't possibly in good conscious let that information go unknown!!

He had also reassured him of your safety

Your father is angry, and he steps inside, calling over your mother and telling her everything

Needless to say the wedding was called off immediately

And when Diluc had offered to escort you home the next day, your parents greeted you with relief

-

Tartaglia

Extremely concerned when he sees you

However, he greets you with a smile as usually already planning ways to cheer you up in his head

When he asks and you clam up it's slightly jarring because normally you'd tell him that something was wrong

You not telling him makes him suspicious

But regardless he continues on with his plan to cheer you up

With the addition of no longer prying into your business

The last thing he wants is to make it worse on you

However, expect to see more Fatui lingering around

Because he will probably have someone keep an eye on you and your encounters with others

Especially when he notices your behaviour getting worse

Tbh you probably don't even need to tell him what happened

Because by the time you come to him in a desperate panic, he already knows

His colleagues had informed him of everything that happened that could have set you off

And this was ABSOLUTELY no exception

He's already making plans to handle it

He does want to hear the story from your point of view though because the Fatui he gets to watch you can only learn so much from a distance

And when you tell him, his blood boils

He comforts you though, treating you to lunch as a distraction while he plots his next move

After lunch he has to leave you

Harbinger business, he tells you

But he tells you he can meet up with you again later

While you go about anxiously running errands, he's quick to find your fiancé(e)

And he's also quick to threaten them into both leaving you alone and convincing your family that they no longer wish to wed you

He has quite the silver tongue after all

In a more extreme case maybe he'd just outright kill them

But more than likely just a threat makes them cave

He's very satisfied after

And when he meets up with you again later in the evening, he's more,,, chipper than usual

[chaotic-good-vampire]

Angel

Pairing: Edward Nashton (Dano!Riddler) x FemReader (she/her)

Summary: Edward is obsessed with his boss, and when she crosses his path on a lonely night, his mind wonders to dangerous places.

Warnings: 18+, pre-canon, hints of stalking, obsessive thoughts, arranged marriage, mentions of abuse, reader is Ed's boss.

She's insane, suicidal even, or at least that's what Don will say when he finds out that she'd left the club and was walking alone in the darkness of Gotham, but she couldn't care less. It isn't like her to be so impulsive, but she would rather freeze in the icy rain than spend one more second with her husband and his insufferable friends.

Her heels click along the desolate street as she ambles along aimlessly, the ridiculous black lace dress Donald had forced her to wear itching at her chest and waist. She could have asked the driver to take her home, but the only thing worse than being surrounded by drunken strangers barely illuminated by multi-neon lights is the loneliness of a mansion filled with paintings that stared sternly at her from the walls. Plus, she doesn't want to be there when Don arrives, not after seeing him drink his weight in booze and Drops. Living with him isn't hard most of the time, they usually ignore each other's presence in the house, where the public doesn't see the indifference in their marriage, but his intoxicated self is another story: he'd always attack her verbally, even chasing her all over the mansion yelling and cursing. He'd never laid a hand on her before, but she doesn't doubt that with the right dose or one wrong move on her part, Don could lose his marbles and cross that limit.

Thus, without friends or family, she had nowhere else to go at such a late hour, and it wasn't wise to keep wandering around the city, as she'd only end up getting into trouble. Maybe– she thinks as she rubs her hands together– that's what I'm looking for: someone crossing her path and ending her misery once and for all.

A few steps ahead a fluorescent blue light illuminates the pavement, and when she looks up she's met with her reflection in the window of a nearly empty cafeteria. Shivering and with small drops of water falling down the sides of her face, the image of her dishevelled self makes her come out of the trance she was in since she left home. Somewhat disoriented, she enters the establishment and heads to sit at the bar slackly, leaving a wet trail behind her.

"Good night, what can I get for you?" A girl with a tired expression and monotone voice asks from the other side of the bar.

"Umm," she checks the menu in front of her, "A latte and a waffle, please."

The girl takes note before slipping into the kitchen, leaving her alone with a man sitting three seats away from her with an open book in front of him. Rubbing her temples to ease her headache, she covers her eyes with her palms, getting black glitter on her fingers in the process, and lowers her head with a sigh.

To her left, Edward looks at her stunned, with the rim of the cup static on his lips and slightly misted glasses. He blinks a few times, trying to control his breathing, and finally sets the cup down once she covers her face. Nervously, he glances down at the paper in front of him, where a half-finished sudoku awaits, and desperately tries to collect his thoughts.

She was so close it'd be enough to reach out his arm to touch her, but instead, he tries to move away, to mark the distance between them as if the simple fact of existing in the same space as her is atrocious. Between Edward Nashton and (Y/N) Mitchell there is a world of difference: He's a lonely nobody with no relevance, and she is the mayor's wife, known even in the most inhospitable corners of the city. Why then did they both end up at the same coffee shop on a Saturday night?

He doesn't know if it's a cruel joke of fate or a blessing that the person who occupies his thoughts day and night had crossed his path so conveniently. He'd dreamed of being alone with her on several occasions, of being able to smell her perfume up close and appreciate even the smallest detail of her features ever since the day he met her.

It was a couple of years ago when he started working in the Finance department of BHI, her family's company, fresh out of college. He didn't find it odd to become the target of mockery and jokes from his colleagues from day one, it was something he'd been used to since he was a child and he had learned to ignore it almost completely. But one day during his second week he slipped in front of the whole office and his glasses landed at the feet of a guy who thought was the funniest idea to throw them between them like a football. Blinded, humiliated and angry at the same time, he bumped into desks and chairs as he reached for his glasses to a chorus of laughter, till he bumped into a woman whose presence drowned out the noise.

"What's going on here?" Her voice was authoritative, expressionless, like a robot's. "I could hear the scandal from the elevator, could you tell what's so funny?"

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Mitchell,” said the man who started the whole circus.

They all went back to their cubicles and sit down except for him, who remained kneeling in front of her looking at the floor, red with embarrassment, convinced she was firing him then and there.

“Are you alright?” It was the same voice, but she had adopted a soft and gentle tone, without losing the formality. Edward looked up to find a blurry hand stretched out in front of him and still shaken, he accepted it.

“Ye… Yes” he didn't dare to look directly at her face or speak loudly. “I just lost my glasses”

“Who has his glasses?” She asked the office somewhat annoyed, suddenly understanding the reason for their laughter. She put her palm out in front of her, waiting for someone to return them as if they were little children.

He watched another woman walk out of her cubicle slowly and deposit something into her hand.

"I'm sorry about that," she wiped his glasses with the hem of her blouse before gently placing them back on his nose. "What's your name?"

"Edward Nashton."

"Nice name, it suits you." He was finally able to focus on her face, and his cheeks lit up again as he realized it was the CEO of the company who was smiling at him apologetically. She looked even prettier than she did on TV, with bright eyes and red lips, he thought she was a dream come true. "Mr. Nashton, is there anything I can help you with?"

He knew she was asking him for a name to penalise, but he wasn't going to snitch on anyone, it was smarter to keep quiet and not get into any more trouble.

“N… No, everything's fine.”

“Well, if anything comes up, HR is on the fourth floor. I attend every case personally, so don't hesitate to go if you have any problem.”

He nodded, realizing that he'd been holding his breath ever since she had entered, and he followed her with his gaze as she left the room.

Since then he's become obsessed with her, with the only person who had seen him and treated him as a person; he dreams of her and sees her everywhere. He's collected all kinds of information, from what perfume she wears to the places she frequents. He follows her from the company to her house to make sure she arrives safely and he watches her during his free time through the windows while she does the most common things, like reading or brushing her hair. She seems to him a beautiful being, not only physically, but as a whole; a beacon of hope hidden among the scum of Gotham.

Now, inches from her, he can think of nothing but to run. He just has to take his book, leave money on the bar and discreetly walk out the door, like a ghost, without looking at her. However, instead of following the steps his mind dictates, his body haltingly moves towards her and before he can react, he's tapping on her shoulder gently.

“Mrs. Mitchell?” His voice is barely a whisper. “Are you alright?”

She turns to see him with teary eyes, somewhat surprised, before drying her tears and brushing a few wet strands of hair from her cheeks.

"Oh, hi, Edward." He almost faints after hearing her say his name, convinced she didn't remember it. "Yeah, I'm fine, thanks for asking."

She tries her best to smile and look half decent, but she's sure she must look like a nightmare with all the smudged make-up and dry tears on her face.

Oh, how tables have turned, he thinks as he sees her shiver and recoil like a wounded animal. He hates seeing her like that, it aches him to think of her in pain or despair and if he can do anything to change it he'll do it.

“You must be cold” He takes off his coat as she looks at him embarrassed.

“Oh, no, there's no need for you to…” But he's already wrapped the warm fabric around her shoulders, avoiding touching her so as to not make her uncomfortable. "Thanks, Edward."

The waitress then returns with her order, placing a cup and plate in front of her without paying much attention to either of them. He goes back to her seat as she sips her coffee, and takes his book, intending to leave when she stops him by putting her hand on his shoulder.

“I'll pay for your order.” For a few seconds, he doesn't understand what she's saying, he can only focus on her touching him. “Um… Would you mind staying a few minutes?”

She doesn't want to be alone, even if she's not in as much danger inside the cafeteria as she is on the street, and she still doesn't want to call someone to pick her up to go home.

"No problem."

He sits on the stool next to hers, watching her closely between furtive glances as she eats the waffle. Even in her current state, he thinks she's the most beautiful woman in the entire world, and he can't help but smile in delight at the slightest movement on her part.

“You live around here?” She asks shyly after a while, when she had finished eating and with the cup half empty.

“Around the corner.” He mutters, hoping she can hear him. “What are you doing here? It's dangerous to be walking around these streets so late at night.”

“I was with Don, my husband, in the Iceberg Lounge. You know, that club near?" He nods and she laughs ashamed. "Maybe I'm getting too old for that kind of party, it stressed me up a little."

(Y/N) drinks up the last sip of coffee from her mug.

"Anyway, thanks for keeping me company." She sighs as she plays with it. “You should head home, as you said, it's quite dangerous to be out so late. And you probably have someone waiting for you.”

“I live alone.” He says it so fast it startles her, but he needs her to understand there's no one, but her. That he's completely hers even if she doesn't know it.

“I see.” She hugs herself, trying to warm her cold body with his coat, but the wet dress underneath it doesn’t help.

“Mrs. Mitchell…”

“Oh, please call me (Y/N).”

“(Y/N)” Her name rolls off his tongue with devotion. "Do you..." He trails off, unsure of what he's about to propose. He doesn't want her to believe his taking advantage of the situation or that he expects anything from her. "Just If you're comfortable with it... Maybe, umm... You can catch a cold, I mean..."

She looks at him in silence, patiently waiting for him to get to the point. It’s the soft way in which her eyes focus on him and the sweet smile on her lips that soothes him enough to say something coherent.

“You could wait for someone to come to pick you up in my apartment, I could lend you some clothes to change” Her cheeks turn red, and he's quick to add: “You could catch a cold if you stay in your wet dress. And you can dry your hair with some towels too.”

"I don't want to abuse your kindness."

You could never, he thinks, you could ask me for my kidney and I'll give it to you happily.

"It's really not a bother."

She thinks about it for a few seconds; Even if she wants to accept and get out of that dumb dress to something warm and comfortable, she fears she might be overstepping some kind of employee-employer boundary. Still, she's really cold and he seems like someone she can trust.

"Thank you so much, Edward." She takes some money out of her purse to pay the waitress. "I'll be forever grateful to you, you're an angel."

No, you are, I owe this to you. He watches her stand up and hook her arm with his. My angel, just mine.

[that-foul-legacy-lover]

ok wait so re: this, I hope this is okay hdsbjjksd

eventually Zhongli stops coming around, and while thought is hard and he's not fully conscious of it, being completely alone doesn't do Childe any favours. his memory starts slipping, and he spends the majority of his days aimlessly wandering around, feeling lost as if he's meant to be doing something. but no matter how hard he thinks, it never comes to mind, and he keeps wandering around.

and then he hears a cry in the distance and something in his brain snaps awake. he's by your side and getting rid of the geovishap hatchlings attacking you in an instant, and when he looks at you he's overcome with guilt over what happened and... relief that you're okay enough to go out on your own again. he's not sure what to do with you slowly backing away, clearly scared of him, so he ends up freezing in place and crying silently. he closes his eyes and it's the clearest he's thought in months and you're probably going to leave him (he deserves that, doesn't he?) and—and then your arms come to wrap around the fluff on his neck and he feels at ease. you don't protest when his arms come to wrap around you, and he starts purring the moment you bury your face further into him.

eventually the two of you fall asleep like that, and when Zhongli goes out to make sure you're alright, he finds Foul Legacy curled around you protectively.

- 🌀

"i hope this is okay" okay? okay?!?!??!!?? this is far BEYOND okay- this is AMAZING AND I LOVE IT SO MUCH

geovishaps, even just the hatchlings, are vicious and fierce being protected by such sturdy armor and all that. and you're VERY well aware of this right now, trying your best to outrun the ones attacking you despite the multiple bruises and scratches you received just moments earlier- you can definitely see why their bone fragments are coveted by adventurers everywhere for their nigh-invincibility.

as much as you love living in the Harbor, you know that Liyue, and Teyvat as a whole, aren't exactly known for being merciful towards people without Visions, at least not in places where humans haven't set down their roots yet. so when ANOTHER creature, even larger and more armored than the vishaps and with wings twinkling like stars, leaps out of the foliage and slays the hatchling vishaps, you quickly back away because you fully expect the new beast to turn and kill you as well.

but he doesn't. he simply looks at you as you stumble over your feet to get away from him, when all he wanted to do was protect you, keep you safe. his clawed hands twitch around his polearm because he WANTS to reach out to you so desperately but you're going AWAY from him, he's going to be ALONE again and he can already feel his thoughts clouding again.

it's when he starts crying that you stop moving away because you're so confused when you see the tears rolling down his face but oh, oh you want to comfort him so badly because this creature looks truly distraught and he hasn't really done anything to harm YOU yet so you ignore your survival instincts, walk up to him, and wrap your arms around his fluff.

Childe feels your hands bury into his fluff and almost weeps more with joy, dropping his spear and returning your embrace, albeit several times bigger. he no longer feels lost and aimless, THIS is where he's supposed to be, YOU'RE the one he was looking for, the purpose he was missing. his sobs are soon replaced by gentle, rolling purrs as you unintentionally snuggle your face into his fluff because it's just so darn comfy. you end up falling asleep there, and Childe curls around you to keep you safe and sound.

but when Zhongli ventures out to find you, worried sick because you're a mortal and could very well be injured, and discovers you and Foul Legacy Childe, who he had forgotten and left alone when his memory started getting foggy, sleeping together, he draws his spear and yells at you to get away from the creature. he doesn't know how much of Childe's mind was really THERE, and you're a good friend he doesn't want injured. but Childe never retaliates, only whimpers and holds onto you like a lifeline because to him you ARE a lifeline, the only person he remembers and he KNOWS he loves you so PLEASE don't leave him alone again!!!

[ridiasfangirlings]

Fushimi got tossed into AU where he had died in Jungle’s base. (Reisaru)

Imagine he gets tossed into this alternate universe that's like maybe just a week or two out from when the jungle mission happened and at first he thinks he's just been sent into the past. Say Fushimi gets hit by a Strain power and when he wakes up he's lying in a bunch of rubble. Fushimi manages to drag himself out and it takes him a moment before he realizes that he's wearing his green coat from when he was in jungle rather than the Scepter 4 uniform he'd had on before. He feels this spike of pain and looks down to realize he still has his thigh wound too, it's not bleeding anymore but his pants are torn and there's this fresh scar there. Naturally Fushimi's on edge, he assumes that the Strain power must have rewound time somehow but then at the same time he doesn't recall this moment, like Douhan carried him out of jungle so why is he down here in the rubble all alone. He decides to make his way out and figure things out from there, slowly navigating his way out of the mess of jungle's hideout.

As he gets closer to the surface he hears noise and slows his pace, hiding himself and pulling out a couple knives in case he gets attacked. He hears voices coming closer and then a few blue-clothed figures come into view. Fushimi realizes this must be Scepter 4 members sent to work on the clean up but he still doesn't relax, he doesn't know what the Strain power did and he doesn't want to end up in a mess before he even knows what's going on. There are a few random rank and file Scepter 4 guys walking over and poking at the rubble and say one of the alphabet squad is there too, like Akiyama is overseeing them and giving orders. One of the squad members asks Akiyama why they're trying to clean this place up rather than just blowing up the rest and covering it over with concrete or something. Akiyama gets a stern look as he says these are Captain's orders and the random member grumbles that everyone knows the Captain is clinging to the belief that “he” is still – Akiyama cuts the member off there, reminding him that he's still talking about his King. The member gives a grumbled apology and Akiyama gets called away to deal with something else. Left alone the rank and file guys start gossiping a little and the one who complained originally is like 'we all know this is pointless – even if we find Fushimi-san's body it won't change anything.'

Fushimi freezes at that and then gives this rueful smile, like ah so that's it. He leans back against the wall not even sure what he should do here, like so this is how it would have been if he didn't make it out. There's no way he can show himself now, not without causing a scene, so he pulls his hood over his head and secretly slips out past the Scepter 4 guys. He has a little difficulty once he gets above, there are more Scepter 4 troops there and it's hard to keep from being noticed. He manages to get away from the blockade and ends up just wandering around the city almost aimlessly, not sure where he can go for the time being since he's dead in this world. He's also maybe a little apprehensive and trying not to admit it to himself, like how is he going to get home and what if he's here forever, in this world where he never escaped jungle.

Somehow he still finds himself back at Scepter 4 headquarters, looking up at the building and just quietly clicking his tongue. He turns to walk away and then spots someone in front of him, there's something familiar about that person and Fushimi follows after. The person stops and stands there looking at the building as well and Fushimi realizes that it's Munakata, looking unexpectedly tired and haggard rather than his usual unflappable calmness. Fushimi stays just out of sight and watches him, Munakata's just fiddling with the sword at his side and it takes Fushimi a moment before he realizes that it isn't Tenrou Munakata's holding it's Subaru. Fushimi can't stop himself from stepping out of the shadows with this quiet 'Captain.'

Munakata turns to look at him and somehow there's no surprise in his face, just this tired sorrow. Fushimi finds himself blurting out 'It wasn't your fault' without even thinking, like he doesn't know why he's saying something so stupid but he feels like he needs to say it. Munakata turns away from him and laughs softly, saying that even so, it was his order, and this is a regret that no ghost can dispel. Fushimi says he isn't a ghost and Munakata correctly deduces that 'you're not my Fushimi-kun either.' Fushimi says maybe he isn't but they're the same person, so the feelings are the same. And when he was below in that place himself, not expecting to make it out, he still never blamed Munakata for a moment. Not for the mission...and not for the words he said either, that time in front of the vans. Munakata looks surprised for a moment and then it's almost like there's a weight suddenly lifted off his shoulders as he steps closer to Fushimi. Munakata says he thought that if he had died below his greatest regret would be the work that he left undone, but in reality there is a bigger regret: that he survived and still never got to say it to Fushimi, that he never meant any of those words, and that he couldn't ask Fushimi for his forgiveness. Fushimi clicks his tongue and tells Munakata not to be an idiot and did he really expect Munakata to hold a grudge – 'I'll tell you the same thing I told him: my King is the Blue King.' Munakata's eyes almost waver for a second and then he just wraps his arms around Fushimi, murmuring a 'thank you' as the world goes blurry around them. Fushimi opens his eyes again and he's back in front of headquarters again but this time in his uniform, with the squad asking if he's all right, and Fushimi says he's fine, he just had to take care of some unfinished business.