#i will fight david cage to the death one day

[robot-carl]

Reed900 art in the year of our lord 2023? It’s more likely than you’d think.

[clownd1ck]

i’m not going anywhere | j. miller

joel miller x fem!reader

warnings: mentions of joel’s suicide attempt, mental health problems, reader & joel being purely in love and devoted to each other i love it 💯, age gap (reader in 20’s, joel in 50’s), violence, murder, death, angst, reader being ellie’s mother figure YES MA’AM, flashbacks in italics, reader has a past with david, no word count cause i forgot 😔

i bet your shoulders can hold more than

just the straps of that tiny dress

that i’ll help you slide aside

when we get home

joel watches you from across the room, talking to some of the other women in jackson. he sees you laughing, the sight of your smile putting him at ease, knowing that you were at least comfortable.

it’s been a few months since the three of you arrived in jackson: yourself, joel and ellie. ellie was the first one to settle in, happy to be somewhere that wasn’t the QZ or the outside world, and you were soon to follow after her. all you ever wanted was a peaceful place to live, and jackson was the closest thing to it. and joel, he was the last, but only because he couldn’t settle until both you and ellie had.

the dress you wore was white and short, it hugged your chest tightly and pushed your breasts up like a corset would. joel didn’t know where you found that dress, but he’s glad you did. all he’s been thinking about is taking you home, slipping that dress off your body and worshipping you like a theist to their god.

he walks over, places his hand on your waist in a gentle grip and forcefully smiles at the rest of the women. “excuse me, ladies, need some time with my girl.” joel watches as the women nod enthusiastically, he doesn’t know if it’s because they like how he treats you or just like him. he doesn’t know because he can’t read other women, he’s only ever spent his time learning you.

“hi, honey.” you smile brightly at him, looking into his eyes with such care that joel feels himself melting under your gaze.

“missed ‘ya, darlin.” he tells you, pressing a sweet kiss to your lips, causing you to giggle.

“was only across the room. could’ve joined in the conversation.” he hums, continuing to press a series of kisses across your face. “joel!” you squeal playfully.

“wouldn’t be able to focus when i got you by my side, darlin.” his southern twang hits in the pet name. “‘specially when you wear that dress. ‘s sin, baby, look at ‘cha .” he runs his hands up and down your hips, drawing you in closer to his chest. you smile at him, hands hooking together round the back of his neck. “feel so damn good against me, sugar.”

you giggle. “then do something about it, tex.” joel stares at you, hunger flashing through his brown eyes as he drunkenly takes you in. he’s drunk off you, the idea of you, the thought of you. he’s wrapped around your finger, and if he has it his way, you’ll be wrapped up in the sheets together in no time.

i’ve seen em carry family

and the steel drum weight of me

effortless just like that dress

that i’ll help off

that day was the worst. joel being injured meant you and ellie were left to your own. she trusted you, she always did, you had always cared for her. before marlene, before joel; there was you. you taught her the tricks with her knife, you taught her how to tackle, to fight, the same way your uncle taught you when the outbreak began.

two innocent, vulnerable women seen by themselves in the wilderness would’ve caught anyone’s attention. especially ellie, a young girl who seemingly looks alone and lost. you knew you should’ve fought harder to have her stay with joel whilst you collect supplies. it wasn’t her fault you both got caught in that position, you should’ve warned her.

but it was too late.

you were both locked up in delegate cages across the room from one another. david torments you by talking to ellie. he doesn’t know that you’re not the same scared little girl you were way back when your uncle was still alive, but he will know soon. when his time has come.

he seems giddy as he walks over to her, child-like charm in his step, maybe from all the years he’d snatched it away from other children did he take it for himself. you didn’t understand that before, but you do now. you understand perfectly. you know who he is, what he does, you watched and experienced it for an entire three days.

but, for whatever reason, you’re back in his trap, ellie by your side. making every killer instinct in your body heighten.

you looked over to her. she was sat down whilst you were stood up. she’s looking at you in what you know is fear, and for a second, her face blurs and you’re staring into the eyes of your fourteen year old self. you’re snapped out of it by david telling her to look at him, not you. his hand reaches behind the bars of her cell. that’s when you snap.

“move the fuck away, david.” you hiss, body pressed up against the bars of your cell. he looks at you, smirks, before turning back round to face ellie. you know you’re letting him win by reacting to his psychological torture, this warfare he seems to have mastered countless times, but he doesn’t know who you are now, what you’re capable of. so you showed him.

ellie stood watching as you stabbed him with his own machete. you didn’t notice she was still with you, but ideally, you should’ve known better. you should’ve known she doesn’t go anywhere without you.

you’re crying out, over and over again as you face the brute that is reality as it strikes you in the face, harder than the machete does to david. ellie almost faced the same fate you did, she’s seen too much, she’s been through too much, she’s only a kid. you could’ve done better to protect her. you could’ve-

hands cupping your face stop your train of thoughts and your actions. joel is knelt down next to you, looking at you with such sincerity and love that you can’t even process that his injury is healed and that he’s here. his hands feel so soft, so tender. they are calloused and rough from years of hard labour but the way he holds you suggests differently, like he’s spent a lifetime waiting to hold you.

“baby, look at me.” his texan accent heightened. “sweet girl,” his pointer finger gently taps your cheek “look at me. i got you. ‘s just us, baby, ‘s just us.” you feel ellie by your side again, and you unconsciously lift your arm for her to tuck herself into your side as joel welcomes you both into his waiting arms.

“‘s just us.”

—

you had come back to the house after being out in the school the entire day. you had never considered yourself as someone who liked kids, too sticky and messy for you. ellie was the only exception, and she had been with you since you were a teenager.

maria was opting to give you the job at the school per your request. you wanted something easy, something that didn’t require you to look over your damn shoulder every waking second. you wanted to settle, to rest, to find peace, and you finally had the opportunity to do so in jackson.

when you got to the house that joel, ellie, and yourself were staying at, you didn’t expect to hear shouting. you ran up the stairs, just in time to see joel leave ellie’s room. you glare at him, hitting his shoulder with your own as he walks past. you make your way over to ellie, but you can tell by the way she doesn’t look your way that she wants to be by herself. you whisper to her, before leaving and walking into joel’s room.

“what the fuck was that?” the venomous tone in your voice causes his gaze to snap towards you. “the fuck did you say to her.”

“calm down-”

“calm down? calm down?! you tell me what you said to her right now, joel.” you move towards him, finger pushing into his chest. he sighs, gently moving your hand away.

“started talking to me about loss. she doesn’t know what loss is.” he says with such certainty, like he’s confident in his words and that makes the urge to hit him heighten. joel shakes his head. “ain’t her damn father, either.”

“think about what you’ve just said.”

“darlin-”

“dont darlin’ me! ellie watched her best friend turn into a fucking infected and couldn’t do anything until i showed up! you know how much she begged me not to kill riley?” your eyes tear up. “she begged, pleaded with me, joel. i couldn’t risk it. i couldn’t risk riley hurting her. i couldn’t live with that.” your breathing is erratic. “then tess, then sam and…and you pushing her away isn’t helping.”

you’re angry, you’re in his face practically hissing at him. “we’ve all lost something, joel. she lost her childhood, her best friend. the only people she has right now are me and you, and if you’re not willing to be there, then fucking go! ‘cause i’m staying, with or without you i’m staying with her.” a tear slides down your cheek, and you’re quick to wipe it away.

“you may not be her father, but the way you act with her says otherwise, ‘nd i’m not giving that girl another person to lose. so either stay, or don’t bother. but if you choose the latter…don’t come near us again.”

—

“don’t tempt me, darlin’.” joel smirks, lips lightly grazing your cheek as they make their way back down to your lips. he pecks them one, two, three times before you’re pulling him in for a passionate and heartfelt kiss.

“not doing anything.” you laugh into the kiss, wrapping your arms around his neck, fingers twirling into the bottom of his curled hair and he elicits a hushed groan. “just showing my man some love, that so bad, tex?”

he pulls away, leaning his forehead against yours. “say your goodbyes, baby, ‘m taking you home.” joel lightly kisses your forehead. “ellie’s staying with dina tonight, means you’re all mine.” he smirks, kissing your forehead again.

“oh really?” you grin, now holding his hand in yours. his smirk widens, and it tells you that he’s not joking. that you have ten seconds to wander off to say your goodbyes or else he’s carrying you over his shoulder out of here. “i’ll be back.”

he watched you walk over to the women, giving them all a gentle hug as you wave your goodbyes. telling them that you best get home before ellie starts to grow concerned. when you’re finished, you walk back over to joel, who wraps his arm around your waist and pulls you into him as you walk away.

because i’ve seen you

and i know you

and i’m not going anywhere

“i’m scared.” he says. you look up at him, arms folded over your chest. it’s not long after your earlier confrontation about what he said to ellie. you’re both sat across from each other, him sat at the dining room table and you on the sofa.

“about what?” you ask.

“she…i can’t protect her. not like you can. i’m old an…and i’m tired, darlin’. i ain’t made for this, can’t look after myself, let alone a teenage girl and yourself.” he doesn’t look at you whilst he speaks. it’s like he can’t say it to your face, saying it to your face means the truth in his admission and he’s not ready to look into your alluring eyes and face the reality of his feelings.

“you’ve taken care of us pretty damn well, joel.” you sit up, arms no longer folded but bent and resting on your knees.

“but i won’t for much longer. i’m so much older than you, sweetheart, i’m fuckin’ deaf in one ear and i ain’t as sharp as i used to be. ellie needs someone to protect her, ‘s why she’s got you.”

“she has you too.”

“i can’t help her, can’t be the man you need, either.” he takes a deep breath in, and your eyes catch the way his hands slightly tremble. he’s never been like this with anyone, so vulnerable, so open. him and tess seemed to have their own dynamic. business partners, friends, lovers, whatever the fuck it was, but you can tell by the lack of eye contact and body language that he never opened up to her like he’s doing with you right now.

“when…when the dogs were there, smelling her. i knew they smelt something on her, but i didn’t do anything. all i could do was stand there and panic.”

“you couldn’t do anything. any movements we made would’ve made everyone suspicious.” you state.

“couldn’t even protect my own daughter and-” he shakes, you can see the tears in his eyes and he’s not even looking at you. “i failed her, and ‘m gonna fail you both now.”

you stand up immediately, walking over to his chair until you’re stood between his legs. your hands find their place on either side of his face, thumbs stroking his cheeks and brushing away his tears, forcing him to look up at you. you hesitate, but your thumb gently traces the scar on his temple, and you hear him take a sharp breath in at the simple, yet doting touch of the place that marks the darkest time of his life after the death of his daughter.

“you’ve never failed us. not at the beginning, and definitely not now. you’ve done so much to protect us, tex. taking on a fourteen year old girl is a lot, but taking on me, too? well, i have to applaud you for that.” he laughs. “but don’t think i don’t admire you for what you’ve done. hell, most men out there would’ve ditched us when they had the chance but you? you stuck by, guided us, saved us, loved ellie like a daughter. a…and, you’ve made me feel at home.” a soft smile graced your lips. “everything you’ve done for us, been for us? that’s home.”

because i’ve seen you

and i know you

and i’m not going anywhere

“i’ve got you.” you say, grabbing his hand, rubbing your hand over the watch. “you didn’t fail sarah, you’ve never failed ellie and you could never fail me.”

“but-”

“no buts. you will never know how proud i am of you and everything you’ve done for us. to open up like this…” you sigh “i just…i’m glad you did.”

he removes his hand from yours, wrapping them both around your waist and pulling you into him. his head rests on your stomach, and your hands find their way into his hair. “home.” he mumbles, and you feel the smile on your chest.

i bet your back can carry more than

just the weight of your button down

one by one they come undone

when we get home

you stand by as you watch joel enter the house. three days, three damn days without him by your side because he was on patrol. you couldn’t blame him, it’s his part in making the community of jackson safe. besides, you knew he’d lose his mind if he had to sit around all day and lack any form of agency. he’d been in this world for too damn long to not find a piece of his mind in protecting others, especially you and ellie.

joel walks over to you, embracing you in a tight hug as he places a small kiss on your forehead. it’s followed by one on your lips, to which he smiles slightly, tipping his forehead so it meets yours. “missed ‘ya so much, darlin’.” his texan drawl makes you laugh.

“missed you too, baby.” you place both hands on either side of joel’s face, pulling back slightly to admire all that is him. his scars, his soul, his heart, everything. “ellie’s missed you too. been waiting on your arrival the entire day.”

joel chuckles, kissing you on the forehead. “i’ll go give her this, then.” he pulls out a book from under his arm, something you completely missed when he entered your house. he holds it up to you, and you read the name. a soft smile graces your lips, and you feel yourself wanting to tear up.

“she’ll love it.” you whisper.

it’s a couple hours later, the three of you having just eaten dinner, and joel and ellie are sat on the couch together. the tv is turned on, but joel is nowhere near paying attention, all of it is on ellie. she reads out the jokes in the joke book he gifted her, he complained about the bad ones, laughed at the good ones, and even shared some of his own.

you find yourself admiring them both, smiling wildly as you watch their dynamic. you knew you had the best relationship with ellie, but nothing could compare to how joel was with her. like a father, he cared and loved her without overstepping ellie’s boundaries.

and that? that’s all you could ever ask for in a man.

i’ve seen you carry family

and all my insecurities

one by one they’ll come undone

when we get home

you stand before joel, blood splattered on your clothes and covered in bruises in visible places. you hated to know how you looked underneath. you sat perched upon the counter in the bathroom as joel runs a cloth under the running tap, dabbing it on your face to remove the dried blood.

it was a patrol gone wrong. you thought you could handle it by yourself, you had done in the past. but when your patrol partner had lured you into a raiders den, it had all gone south from there. they got a fair few hits and wounds onto you before you remembered who you were, and you showed them no mercy.

brown, puppy dog eyes stare down at you, it’s almost comical. a hardened man with the softest expression on his face, all because you were bruised and injured. he sighs, placing the cloth on the side. “need you to take your clothes off, sweetheart. see if there’s any more damage.”

your eyes immediately snap up to meet his, panic arising in your body so much so he saw it in your face. “hey, ‘s okay.” his hand gently cups underneath your jaw, keeping your eyes on his. “ain’t gonna do anything, baby. just need to clean you u-”

“no.” you shake your head feverishly, cutting him off. “no.”

“got to make sure you ain’t hurt anywhere else.” he stares at you, and he looks so concerned and worried that you cave. pulling off your jumper and shirt, stood in your bra and sweatpants, completely exposed.

joel’s eyes trace your body, and you feels his eyes catch the wounds, but the scars that cut across your skin in a variety of places. he stiffens up, hand hesitantly reaching out to gently trace one, much like you had done with his.

he looks up at you when he’s done, stepping closer with his hand on your hip, where the scar his finger had just traced lingered. he tips his forehead to meet yours, both of your eyes closing. “i gotcha, sweet girl. always do.”

he pulls back and grabs the cloth from the sink, running it under water again before he starts to clean the cuts on your body. he traces every scar on your skin, each time making you shudder from the sheer amount of love he dedicates towards you, ensuring your comfort and trust, much like you had done with him.

he’s got you. he always has, always will.

because i’ve seen you

and i know you

and i’m not going anywhere

falling on top of you, joel’s hands travel underneath the hem of your dress, pulling down your panties. you sit up, pulling the white dress over your head, now completely naked and bare in front of the man you love.

joel tips your head up so you look at him, admiring your body as you sit naked and bare. he starts to take off his own clothes, pulling you close to him so he hovers of you. he kisses you lips passionately, your arms winding round his neck as you pull him in closer.

he chuckles as you moan when he bites your lip, pulling away to kiss down your neck, your chest, all the way down until he looks up at you, asking for permission.

you nod, and let him ravish you.

because i’ve seen you

and i know you

and i’m not going anywhere

because i’ve seen you

and i know you

and i’m not going anywhere

because i’ve seen you

and i know you

and i’m not going anywhere.

a/n: fun fact, this was gonna end in tlou2 with joel and reader being murdered together but i said no <3

taglist: (if you want to be added, pls message me!!)

@theeblackmedusa @joeldjarin

[joelsmorality]

EYES WIDE OPEN [1]

Pairing: Joel Miller x Fem!Reader, platonic bonding with Ellie.  Summary: Somehow, you managed to find Joel and Ellie ending their journey just as you were beginning your own. After being captured in David’s resort and witnessing the horrors within, Ellie manages to save your life as she escapes and you end up staying with them for the time being at Ellie’s offer. Yet, things aren’t as they seem, and you’re also not sure if her gruff guardian won’t murder you in your sleep.  Warnings: Gore, death, mentions of cannibalism, fire, angst. Please read at your own risk.  Note: I’ve had this idea kicking around in my head for a while, though I can’t say for certain it hasn’t been done before. Still, I thought I’d write it up and see if anybody is interested in it! If you want to be added to a tag list, please let me know!

Perhaps you should have been relieved that the attention had been shifted off you.

Yet, you just felt more dread.

Your whole world had shifted over the last day or so. Again. It had been bad enough when the initial outbreak began, yet you had foolishly assumed that the biggest threat out there was the infected. Humans could be just as cruel, if not moreso. You were paying for that oversight in the current moment, your stomach twisting each time when you would think deep enough to realize just how horrible of a situation you found yourself in. It had been enough to make you forget the exhaustion and hunger that had built up over the last day.

Hunger had been the issue that started all of this.

David–your deeply devout, fair, and kind leader–was a sick son of a bitch. You had seen his bad side a couple times over the years–asking too many questions, showing too much doubt, witnessing him laying a hand on people who spoke too far out of turn. Your opinion hadn’t always been the highest of him, but this was beyond anything you could have imagined him doing. Which was probably one of the many mistakes you had made.

You had come across his group as a loner–your family was either gone or missing, and you knew it was impossible to seek out anybody at this point. It had been nice in the beginning–you had shelter, food, people. You hadn’t been the most social, but it was better than trying to survive on your own. That was, until the hunger had set in. Tensions were high, you wanted to help and eventually you had found yourself digging into something you really shouldn’t have.

You were a loner, which made you easier to disappear.

The image of the bodies hanging in the dark with a nauseating similarity to a slaughterhouse sat at the edge of your mind, knowing that a similar fate awaited you.

Until Ellie.

At least, that was what you had heard her shout when she had broken David’s finger–she had a fight in her, which gave you some hope. Yet, you saw the spark in David, which was what had your stomach turning at his fascination toward her. You didn’t have any children of your own, nor any younger family that you had looked after, but witnessing the way he spoke to her made you wish you hadn’t been separated in two different cages so you could help her. Animals awaiting slaughter.

Yet, Ellie had that fight in her–something that had left you long before you found yourself in the situation you were. Yet, you knew patience would wear thin and there was only so much she could do until they got sick of her.

Given that you had been in there longer than her, you had only hoped that they’d take you out first. Give her the time and chance to escape. Her arrival had delayed your death, anyway.

Yet, you should have known that David would be playing by his own rules.

Sleep had escaped you since you had been captured, yet during the momentary quiet moments you had found yourself nodding off despite your efforts otherwise. You knew you wanted to be alert at all times, watching for ways to escape. Yet, you couldn’t focus. It felt like you had exhausted all your resources–you had kicked at the gate to your cage almost endlessly during the first day, hoping against hope that the lock would just break off and you’d be able to run. Yet, that went nowhere and just exhausted you further.

You refused to eat, too–knowing what they had been serving to the community, thinking it was deer or whatever meat they could hunt…despite your hunger, it only made you sick to think about.

Still, you knew, despite the lack of energy, that you would be up at any disturbance. At least, you had hoped.

In reality, your head had snapped up at Ellie’s yelling without knowing how long she had been doing so. You managed to sit up and crawl toward your own cell door as you watched David and James hoist her up onto the table. Given the blood you had seen on it, it didn’t take long for its use to click in your brain.

“Hey!” you shouted, finally finding your own voice, “She’s just a kid! Let her go! Let her go!”

It was useless, given Ellie’s own shouts and struggles. They carried on as if you weren’t in the room, as much as that realization didn’t really settle in you as you tried to throw your shoulder against the cage door in a feeble attempt to try to help her.

They were going to cut her up, and you would have to sit there and watch it. You were useless to help, as much as you didn’t want to believe that at the moment. Still, that was as clear as day as David finally raised his cleaver up. Yet, Ellie’s voice cut through the momentary silence in that action, her words making everybody in the room pause. Including you.

It took you a few moments to process that–infected? You had plenty of run-ins with infected on the road before you wound up where you were, and she certainly didn’t look and act like someone about to turn. From what you could see on the faces of David and James, you could see that same line of thought.

“Roll up my sleeve–look at it. Look at it!” Ellie insisted, you watching on with wide eyes.

After a few moments, David swung the knife down quickly. You heard it hit the table, the action and sound making you flinch as a sound caught in your throat. Yet, from Ellie still moving on the table, you could tell that he hadn’t killed her. Or hit her, given the silence. David pulled her sleeve up, pausing at what he saw that you couldn’t see from where you were on the floor across the room.

From the look on both his and James’ faces, you could tell whatever was on her arm was pretty convincing.

“What did you say?” Ellie said after a moment, you almost being unable to hear her. “Everything happens for a reason, right?”

“David…” James started, equally as quiet and disbelieving.

“No…” David said after another pause, shaking his head in denial. “No, she would’ve turned by now. This isn’t real.”

“That looks pretty fuckin’ real to me…”

The next several seconds seemed to pass in a blur for you. In their confusion and disbelief, Ellie took advantage of their hesitation to pull the knife by her head out of the table and swung it into the side of James’ neck. Ellie took off with David pulling out a pistol and shooting at her, firing off shots until you could hear the click, click of an empty chamber. He paused for a moment, looking around the room for a moment before he met your gaze.

He almost seemed to look through you, but you could see the darkness in his expression. You weren’t surprised when he pulled the knife from James’ neck and followed her out into the main area of the building.

And you were still in the damn cage.

With a grunt, you threw yourself against the door again–a sense of panic and urgency driving you to ignore the aches and bruises the force of that was going to give you. You did so over and over again, letting out short yells and what may have been sobs. As much as you were definitely hitting it with some force, the door still wouldn’t open. You had to break the lock, and as you were unarmed, you knew it wasn’t possible in your current situation.

Still, you didn’t want to give up. You continued to slam against the bars, not exactly knowing what was happening outside the room as you couldn’t really hear anything. You were focused on your attempts to escape, yet you could feel your legs starting to give out as that familiar exhaustion started to make itself known. After a few more slams with your shoulder, your knees buckled that had you grasping onto the bars to keep yourself from falling to the floor.

At that moment, you were suddenly aware of the smell of smoke. It had been lingering in your nostrils, yet at the moment you could really smell it. You could almost taste it. Whatever had happened outside that room, someone had set the building on fire.

And you were still locked in the damn cage.

You continued your struggles, pulling yourself upright again and started to shake and slam yourself against the door. Your eyes were starting to burn–from the smoke or unshed tears, you weren’t sure. Yet, you had to stop again after a short while as you coughed, the smoke significant enough to shake reality into you for a few moments.

Gripping the bars on the cage door, you shook it hard with a yell that burned your throat. Fear, anger, and disbelief swirling in your gut as you continue to yell.

“Help me!” you screamed, “Please! I–I don’t…I don’t want to die like this…”

Your voice had faltered at the end, realizing how smoking the room had gotten. It was…unsettlingly quiet, aside from your shaky breathing and the coughs that would force their way out of your lungs as you struggled against the smoke that burned at the back of your throat. The fight was starting to leave you, ripping an angry sob from you as you kicked uselessly against the door before backing against the wall.

Another cough hit you, mixing with the sobs that you were already letting out. If you didn’t burn to death first, the smoke would suffocate you. You didn’t know which was worse.

Seconds seemed to drag by, the hopelessness of the situation almost making you collapse onto the floor. Yet, you heard the door to the room open. You glanced up to see someone step in, making their way toward your cage. You stilled, recognition taking a moment to settle before you realized the person in front of you was Ellie.

She looked rough–hair a mess, a haunted look on her face, and she was covered in blood. You had no idea what happened when she left the room, and you didn’t really have the words to say anything. The fact that she was still standing told enough of a story at the moment. She set about releasing the lock from the door to your cage, knowing where she got the keys from but you didn’t want to say anything. Didn’t need to.

Considering the look Ellie gave you before giving you a wordless nod, it seemed you both were in agreement to just get the hell out.

You followed after her, realizing that the building really was on fire as the smoke in the main area nearly choked you. Letting out a heavy cough, you covered your mouth with your arm as you weaved through the booths and tables toward the doors. Your eyes stung, the smoke you had already inhaled making it a struggle to breathe in the thicker air. Still, you were almost out.

You noticed a flash of white, daylight through the haze of smoke ahead of you. Mindlessly, you followed that, even after the door shut behind Ellie. Finally, you reached it and pushed it open.

The cold, winter air hit you as you stepped out. You stumbled a few steps in the snow before a series of coughs hit you, making you double over as your lungs struggled to get in fresh air. Dizziness wrapped around you for a few moments, though Ellie’s shouting pulled you out of it after a few moments.

Someone was holding onto her as she screamed for them to let her go, which made you stagger forward a couple steps until she stopped. Ellie let the man pull her into an embrace, which made your steps slow before you stopped a safe distance from them.

If you weren’t still struggling to wrap your head around the last hour, you would have probably felt awkward lingering in the background of a private moment.

The resort was oddly quiet, outside of the wind and the faint creaking of the building that was currently burning down. The group wasn’t huge, but you figured there would be people rushing about to stop that. Something had happened, something you weren’t around to witness, but you realized that your time there was done. In that moment, you let out another dry cough, finally starting to feel like you could breathe a little easier.

The sound pulled Ellie and the man out of their moment, however, the look on the man’s face gave you pause. Clearing your throat, you raised your free hand up in a quiet show of peace. For some reason, you hadn’t found your voice again after the shouting you had done.

Everything was happening so quickly…

“It’s–It’s okay, Joel. She was with me when…” Ellie said after a few moments, still holding onto the arm of the man–Joel–as he stared you down. From the look on his face, you had a feeling that if you made a wrong move, he’d charge.

Given everything that happened, you couldn’t blame him. Still, you remained where you were, watching him carefully.

Finally, your gaze shifted toward Ellie as you cleared your throat.

“Thank you…” you said slowly, voice rough, “For saving me. I have…nothing to repay you, but…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Ellie said, sounding almost as reluctant to speak as you were.

You knew you should just nod and move on. Gather some supplies and head out again–yet, you were exhausted and had nowhere to go. Had no idea where to even start. Still, you said your thanks and you knew you should just leave before you press your luck. You had more than enough.

You remained, however, Ellie and Joel watching you in silence for a few moments as you did the same. Your legs were rooted to the spot, a heavy feeling in your gut. You were scared–more so than you had been in years. Just turn around and…

“You have nowhere else to go, do you?” Ellie asked, pulling you out of your head.

“...I definitely can’t stay here,” you replied–she was right, though, even if you didn’t want to admit it. This had been your group. Until…well.

“Come with us,” Ellie offered, making your brow furrow somewhat.

“Ellie,” Joel hissed, the warning clear in his tone. 

You had an idea on what Ellie could do, but you didn’t know what to make of him. For now, you wanted to avoid pissing him off. You had enough abuse over the last couple of days.

“Just until you can find a place,” Ellie continued, meeting your gaze despite Joel’s protest. “Right?”

“I…I won’t overstay my welcome, if I can,” you said, finally relenting to the silent plea of help that you weren’t even aware you were making, “Until I find people. I would…be really grateful for that. You’ve done more than enough already.”

Ellie and Joel shared a quiet moment, something silent there but it seemed like he relented. With much reluctance, given his body language. Still, he wrapped an arm around Ellie to help lead her forward, the girl casting you a look over her shoulder with a tight grin. There was a pain in her eyes that you could easily read. It pulled at the feeling in you over this whole situation, but you had no idea what happened between her and David. Outside from the fact that he was dead.

Still, you supposed that was your queue to follow. It took a few moments before you managed to follow after them with unsteady steps.

You didn’t know how this would play out, but at the moment you were just relieved to leave.

[the-sprog]

The titles of 3 and 4 of your WIP post intrigue me so much, could you tell me a bit more about them?? Thank you Sprog !! 🐻‍❄️🍄😽

Thank you!! Ok so, Number 3: That's not tubular.

This is a Camp Camp fic I started writing but wrote so little of that I didn't even get to the prompt part of it 😅 It's supposed to be about David dagging de-aged by Harrison to when he first joined Camp Campbell! The episode where David tells Max the tale of his and Jasper, telling him about how much of a sourpuss he was, how much he used to be like Max, and Max being like "Yeah you made that up just to make me like camp", is why I wanted to write this. There's some magic bullshit in this show that I think gets overlooked too much.

Harrison made his brother disappear, we should talk about that more.

So I wanted to use this to get Angsty!David and Max to meet. The plan I had for this was to basically give Max a rival. Someone who threatens his place as the one at the top of the food chain. Until they find a way to get him back to Regular!David, that is.

I enjoy writing Max. He's a little kid who's had to grow up too fast and trying his hardest to make everyone hate him, but failing miserably. While David is kinda... refreshing for me. He's unapologetically optimistic to a fault.

It's called "that's not tubular" because uuuuh basically David as a child called people squares, even though it's slang from like the late 40s. And the way people react in the show it's like he swore real bad. So I wanted to use more old slang, and in a situation where tiny!david has to react to something he doesn't like, I feel like tubular would get said.

I'm struggling to choose a snippet for this fic because I haven't touched this idea in... some time... and my punctuation and epithets usage has gotten significantly better in the meantime.

The first one to pick had been Neil, then Space Kid, Erid, Dolph, and so on and so forth, until everyone had a straw in their hands. Max glanced at the other kids’ straws, realizing that David didn’t really understand how drawing straws is supposed to work. All of the straws, but one, have to be the same length. Instead, each camper had in their hand straws of all sizes, making it extremely difficult to figure out who had won. They took some time, comparing each straw, and concluded that Harrison had been the winner of their game.

Numer 4: Ghost for a day (or two)

This one is a sequel to a Danny Phantom fic I published, "Point of Capture". At the end of that fic, Danny is inside a cage and is being dragged to his parents' lab to do some test. In "Ghost for a day (or two)" Danny accepts a truce to let them do non invasive tests to learn more about ghosts and give him a chance at redemption.

He runs away with a power dampener on him.

I got the point of him reaching Sam and Tuck when he escapes. Even though he accepted the truce, he wasn't sure how the dampener would work, so he decides to leave, regroup, and then if it turned out to be truly safe, he'd go back to the Fentons to help them learn more.

This sequel would be about Danny going about his day stuck as Phantom (I know that canonically when he loses his powers he detransforms, but it's less that he loses them and more like he can't access them. So he can't transform) but trying not to make anyone notice while he goes to school and fights ghosts, while also trying to find a way to get his powers back. And also about some headcanons about the philosophy of death in a world where ghosts exist. As well as an exploration of how the Fenton parents think when it comes to ghost morality.

The title is kinda self explainatory, I feel like. Danny gets stuck in ghost mode and it takes longer than he expected to get his powers back.

This wip also suffers from having been written 3 years ago. I haven't touched it since. The punctuation is horrible, especially when it comes to dialogue tags.

His dad reached closer to the cage and freed him. Danny eyed the portal, then his parents who were at that moment preoccupied with setting up their equipment. “I’m sorry” he murmured, then ran to the portal’s button and pressed it. Getting pricked in the finger so many times is starting to get on his nerves. The sound of the opening portal caused his parents to turn around, and his mom to run towards him. Danny didn’t spare any time and jumped inside the green swirl. He said ‘sorry’ again, that time louder than before, after seeing the disappointment and confusion in his father's eyes. It hurt. But he can’t risk it.

I really want to touch up these two fics again. I think there's some real fun to be had, especially with the DP one.

[chansaw]

ok as promised here’s more followup on jackie and misty’s roles in my yellowjackets animorphs au (part 1, part 2) for the like three people who care.

misty FUCKING quigley:

when she found that weird glowing cube half-buried in debris, misty thought it’d probably net her a hundred bucks on ebay and a cool story to brag about to ben and the soccer team. but she could tell there was more behind the team’s faces than the usual frowns that signaled “oh, great, another misty monologue” when she showed it off. and then, natalie scatorccio of all people started watching her - sitting next to her in every class, tracking her movement from across cafeteria, pushing away the kids in purple t-shirts emblazoned with “the sharing” who bug her in the hallway. “it’s very nice of you, but i don’t need a bodyguard,” misty tells her on a break during practice a few days later, as she hands the girls ice cold water bottles. nat just shakes her head and smiles, then walks away without another word.

then, it happens. out of nowhere, while she’s walking back to the car, the kids from the sharing attack her, like physically attack her. a guy she’s pretty sure is on the football team pins her to the concrete while a goth girl from her math class grabs her backpack and starts rooting through it. “i’ll give you a week’s lunch money,” she rasps, “a month! just tell me what you’re looking for!” the goth looks like she’s about to respond when the puma appears from out of nowhere. as if this day couldn’t get any weirder - cougars aren’t even native to new jersey, she thinks to herself as she watches the big cat fend off her attackers. once it’s taken care of the last of them, it turns on misty. there’s a strange glint in its eyes; she braces herself for the end. and then: <what was that you said about not needing a bodyguard?>

like david, misty is made an animorph mostly out of necessity. she’s seen too much, knows too much. and like david, she’s kind of a loose cannon, unpredictable on and off the battlefield. but unlike david, she’s fiercely loyal to her team and willing to do whatever it takes to keep them safe. and she knows things: exactly how much venom to use while in a snake morph to paralyze someone rather than kill them (<though maybe they’ll wish i had killed them!> misty chirps after demonstrating), which birds wouldn’t look too suspicious traveling in a flock together, and how much force a predator needs to bite with to tear someone’s arm clean off. and even though morphing back to human undoes any injuries the team takes while morphed, misty’s field medic knowledge has saved them from a messy death on several occasions. unlike david, she never betrays her team.

jackie taylor, part 2:

“you know, it could be worse,” shauna tells her one time, a day or two after she first gets trapped. she’s setting up the cage (“enclosure,” shauna calls it, but she knows what it is. it’s a cage). jackie’s not sure shauna’s right about that. she misses her body. she misses having opposable thumbs. she misses sleeping in an actual bed, and most of all she misses eating actual food instead of dry-ass hay and grass and shit. that last part’s not a hyperbole, by the way. rabbits and hares eat their own shit. she wishes they’d put that on the sign at the zoo, because she learned about that lovely habit the hard way.

but what probably hurts the most is the fact that she feels so fucking useless. like, aside from the occasional recon or espionage mission, she can’t exactly do much in a fight. she may be hare-brained, but she's not stupid; she sees the way the team looks at her hungrily when they’re in their predator battle-morphs. during one mission, when they head into the woods to investigate the rumors of a rogue faction of taxxons, shauna loses control of her morph, lets the wolf's mind overtake her own. if tai hadn't intervened, jackie knows she would've been a goner. tai tries to reassure her that she’s still an essential part of the team, that she's still good for something. but jackie knows all she's ever been good at, even before she became like this, is running and hiding.

she lives that way for a little over a miserable year. shauna does her best to make it better. she gives her fresh fruit and keeps the tv on for her while she’s away. then, the ellimist (aka space gamer jesus; he’s nearly omnipotent and on the animorphs' side, but can't directly interfere to help them) gives jackie an offer. in exchange for her help in establishing a colony of free hork-bajir, he’ll give her back the power to morph - with the catch that the hare is now her base form. so this leaves her in something of a catch-22; she can go back to being human but trap herself as a nothlit again and deprive herself of the only weapon she has against the yeerks, or keep living as a hare in order to keep morphing, to stay useful. so she compromises; she lives as a human for 2 hours at a time. she miraculously returns from the dead. she goes back to school, and picks up soccer again. every 2 hours on the dot her digital watch beeps and she excuses herself to demorph and remorph, and she sleeps as a hare just to be safe. its a precarious line to tread, but it works. and hey, she can enjoy actual human food again. and she can fight for real now. she picks a grizzly bear as her battle morph, and maybe she fights with a little less panache and grace than her friends, but still. she’s helping. and once this is all over, she’ll finally be able to stop hiding once and for all.

[ncmither]

@fcgwise said: “ My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined. ”

He’d heard it before. Some form or another, there was bound to be disappointment. It hardened him to hear it again even in this place. Despite it not being him, he heard the words in his father’s voice. It stirred a deep rage inside of him that he hadn’t felt since he lost the fight with The Ghetto Masher. The knuckles in his hands creak audible with the strain of how tightly his fists had balled. David refused to meet Vittorio’s eyes and kept his head lowered. It was for their protection, because with the explosive anger that built inside of him in that moment, David could not trust himself not to swing. That familiar song of bone cracking under brute strength and how easily it yielded to the force of a blow. Perhaps, he had not meant how it sounded to him but Vittorio would not know that until it had been too late. Collecting himself took a war inside of his own head. A long battle filled with blood and death that only took seconds on the outside.

A sharp intake of breath escaped him and he stood. There was tension in his entire body while he reached his full height. David stepped close to him, so close that his chest pressed tight into the man’s shoulder and his face only a few inches from the trimmed bread that Vittorio had chosen to wear. His dark eyes danced across the older man’s features while his own took on hard lines pulled taunt by his rolled rage. The lion inside threatened to escape the cage inside of him. Easy words spoken so powerful that they drew out one of David’s worst qualities. And as simply as that, a sadistic and vaguely cruel smirk twisted his lips. Even as the anger licked at him like the flames of the campfire licked at the wooden logs that forever burned yet never turned to ash.

❝ What can I say, pretty boy? I live to fuck up your day, ❞ he spoke coldly. He kept his hard gaze trained for a moment longer before he leaned forward, to whisper in Vittorio’s ear, ❝ give me an hour and I can think of better ways to ruin your fuckin’ day, mate. ❞

[jackiearbs]

things that rwrb characters have said that i will never forget, a thread:

alex claremont-diaz, giving off dumbass™ energy (he has the most on this thread, for obvious reasons) 

- "put them in my room, put them in my room, put them in my room-" 

-  “Jesus Christ, it’s like they can see into your soul. cornbread knows my sins, Henry. cornbread knows what I have done, and he is here to make me atone.”   

- "do it for the 'gram"

- "leading member of korean pop band bts kim nam-june" 

- "whatever, fine. henry is annoyingly attractive. that’s always been a thing, objectively. it’s fine.”

- "see attached bibliography"

- "i said, you look great, baby!”

- "yo there’s a bond marathon on and did you know your dad was a total babe"

- "awesome, fuckin' love doing things out of spite.”

-”Huge Raging Headache Prince Henry of Who Cares”

-”it is amazing you can sit down to write emails with that gigantic royal stick up your ass.” 

- “who names a dog David? He sounds like a tax attorney.”

-” “Do I go on your side of the cubicle and turn off your Dropkick Murphys Spotify station, no matter how much I want to?” Alex demands. “No, Hunter, I don’t.”

- “for fuck's sake, man, you just had my dick in your mouth, you can kiss me good-night.”

- “Bake Off makes Chopped look like the fucking Manson tapes.”

- “THEY KNOW. THEY KNOW I HAVE ROBBED THEM OF FIVE-STAR ACCOMMODATIONS TO SIT IN A CAGE IN MY ROOM, AND THE MINUTE I TURN MY BACK THEY ARE GOING TO FEAST ON MY FLESH.”

- “You’re from Boston, Hunter. You really want to talk about all the places bigotry comes from?” (he really hates hunter goddamn) 

-”so, what? you want me to quit politics and go become a princess? that’s not very feminist of you.” 

hrh prince dickhead😎  - "the moment you first called me a prick, my fate was sealed. O, fathers of my bloodline! O, ye kings of olde! Take this crown from me, bury me in my ancestral soil. If only you had known the mighty work of thine loins would be undone by a gay heir who likes it when American boys with chin dimples are mean to him.”

-"“I’ve been gay as a maypole since the day I came out of Mum, Philip.”

-”i will turn this car around.”

- “yes, the cocaine, alex.” 

-”i am a delight!”

-”have i mentioned lately that you’re a demon?” 

- “are you psychoanalyzing me? i don't think royal guests are allowed to do that.”

- "i can't believe even mortal peril will not prevent you from being the way you are.”

-“the phrase ‘see attached bibliography’ is the single sexiest thing you have ever written to me.”

-"i just mean to say, you know, Philip is the heir and I'm the spare, and if that nervy bastard has a heart attack at thirty five and I've got malaria, whither the spare?”

- “they wanted something less fruity than the truth, but truly, what is gayer than a woman who languishes away in a crumbling mansion wearing her wedding gown every day of her life, for the drama?”

- “You are a delinquent and a plague. Please come?”

- “fat and sexually conquered, snuffed out in the spring of my youth. Here lies Prince Henry of Wales. He died as he lived: avoiding plans and sucking cock.”

june:  “- that is a clear quartz crystal for good vibes do not @ me.” 

- “He’s just so frail, it’d only take one good push-”

- “ugh! men! no emotional vocabulary. i can’t believe our ancestors survived centuries of wars and plagues and genocide just to wind up with your sorry ass.” 

nora: 

-”sorry, are we not? did i skip ahead again? my bad. hello, would you like to come out to me? im listening. hi.” 

“prince henry is a biscuit. let him sop you up.”  

- “you’ve been, like, Draco Malfoy–level obsessed with Henry for years.”

- “i don’t know, man. I was in my junior year of high school, and I touched a boob. It wasn’t very profound. Nobody’s gonna write an Off-Broadway play about it.”

dahra: 

- “You need to get back to fucking England now, and if anyone sees you leave, I will personally end you. Ask me if I’m afraid of the crown.”

- “both sides need to come out of this looking like your little slap-fight at the wedding was some homoerotic frat bro mishap, okay? So, you can hate the heir to the throne all you want, write mean poems about him in your diary, but the minute you see a camera, you act like the sun shines out of his dick, and you make it convincing.”

-”come on, you backyard-shooting-range motherfuckers,”

ellen (should i say PRESIDENT claremont) 

- “Diaz, you insane, hopeless romantic little shit"

-  “I had Planned Parenthood send over all these pamphlets, take one! They sent a bike messenger and everything!”

- ”where? Are you hiding a turkey habitat up your ass, son? Where, in our historically protected house, am I going to put a couple of turkeys until I pardon them tomorrow?”

-“As your mother, I can appreciate that maybe this isn’t your fault, but as the president, all I want is to have the CIA fake your death and ride the dead-kid sympathy into a second term.”

PEZ !!!

- “frolic naked in the hills, frighten the sheep, return to the house for the usual: tea, biscuits, casting ourselves onto the Thighmaster of love to moan about the Claremont-Diaz siblings, which has become tragically one-sided since Henry took it up with you. It used to be all bottles of cognac and shared malaise and ‘When will they notice us’-” 

-”-and now i just ask henry, ‘what is your secret?’ and he says, ‘i insult alex all the time, and that seems to work.’” 

**extra: nicer quotes from alex and henry 

alex heartthrob diaz  - "never tell me the odds"

-"we were not afforded that liberty."

-“I hate this so much. I know. But we’re gonna do it together. And we’re gonna make it work. You and me and history, remember? We’re just gonna fucking fight. Because you’re it, okay? I’m never gonna love anybody in the world like I love you. So, I promise you, one day we’ll be able to just be, and fuck everyone else.”

- “On purpose. I love him on purpose.”

- “history, huh? Bet we could make some.”

- “But the truth is, also, simply this: love is indomitable.”

-“Take anything you want and know you deserve to have it.”

- “Someone else’s choice doesn’t change who you are.”

- “I am the First Son of the United States, and I'm bisexual. History will remember us.”

- “America: He is my choice.”

- “Give yourself away sometimes, sweetheart, There's so much of you.”

- the entire list of the things he loves about henry. i would die 

henry: 

-”i’ll be damned but i miss you.” 

- “when you rang me at truly shocking hours of the night, I loved you. When you kissed me in disgusting public toilets and pouted in hotel bars and made me happy in ways in which it had never even occurred to me that a mangled-up, locked-up person like me could be happy, I loved you. and then, inexplicably, you had the absolute audacity to love me back. Can you believe it?”

- “it sounds like you did your best.”

- “I’ve bloody well had it. I’ve sat about long enough letting you and Gran and the weight of the damned world keep me pinned, and I’m finished. I don’t care. You can take your legacy and your decorum and you can shove it up your fucking arse, Philip. I’m done.”

- “Should I tell you that when we’re apart, your body comes back to me in dreams? That when I sleep, I see you, the dip of your waist, the freckle above your hip, and when I wake up in the morning, it feels like I’ve just been with you, the phantom touch of your hand on the back of my neck fresh and not imagined? That I can feel your skin against mine, and it makes every bone in my body ache? That, for a few moments, I can hold my breath and be back there with you, in a dream, in a thousand rooms, nowhere at all?”

[jokertrap-ran]

(光与夜之恋 Light and Night) Main Story Chapter 3-5: 海水与火焰 Seawater & Flames Translation

"It is only this sort of unbridled, unbound, soul-freeing freedom that suits me.”

*Light and Night Master-list *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut *Join the Light & Night Discord (＾▽＾)~ ♪ *Main story tag will be #For Light and Night

Following Osborn down the auditorium, we entered the team's resting area.

Tall glass display cabinets lined the wall, and displayed within were trophies that the race team won and photos of victory. They were all arranged by year. The spotlight shone downwards, making those glorious awards through the years appear even more dazzling. It made strolling down the stretch of display cabinets feel like stepping into an illusion of the past.

A familiar photo caught my attention: Osborn was standing on the podium, his helmet sandwiched between his arm and his side.

MC: This is the picture that An'an showed me back then…

I couldn't help but stand on tippy-toes to get a better look at it.

Osborn: The real deal's right beside you, why are you getting all besotted by a photo?

Although that's what he said, he still opened the glass door of the cabinet and took the photo down for me.

MC: When was this taken?

Osborn: When I first won the R1 championship.

He looked pretty young and inexperienced in the photo, with his head raised and an intent stare at the camera. It was almost as if he was gazing into the distance, at the era that would eventually belong to him.

MC: Osborn? What made you want to become a racer?

Osborn's eyes swept past the glass cabinet before falling back on me.

Osborn: Why do you want to be a fashion designer? My answer's the same as yours.

MC: Same as me? For passion?

Osborn: Every aspect of life requires me to endure and think things through; racing is the only thing that allows me to proceed onwards.

The same sharp glint in the picture that had been in his younger self's eyes was back in full force.

I couldn't help but snap an immediate shot of that.

Osborn: Come on then, let's head outside.

We headed out of the rest area and came to the first row of the auditorium. Coincidentally, another mock race was currently in progress.

❖☆———————————★❖

I didn't quite feel it back when I was still viewing from a distance, but now, standing here, I finally experienced what lightning speed truly felt like.

The wind rushed at us, vehemently blowing against our coats, making it flutter violently in the wind. My hair flew every this way and that from violent gusts, and I suddenly got the illusion that even all my troubles could be blown away...

The scene before me had already long since blurred away. I closed my eyes, embracing the world with my senses. At that moment, I heard the forceful thumping of my heart and the rushing of blood in my veins.

I couldn’t help but stretch out my arms, feeling like I was a bird who’d just escaped from the confines of its cage, or like a Père David's deer who’d broken free of its reins, bounding through the snow. The sheer joy of moving forwards without looking back at all was a marvellous one.

MC: I think I now understand what you were talking about earlier.

The look in his eyes suddenly grew more profound, with the vast blue sky reflected within his orbs.

Osborn: It is only this sort of unbridled, unbound, soul-freeing freedom that suits me.

MC: Freedom...

That’s right. I’d also ran back here from all the way abroad in search of freedom. This was the life I chose of my own accord.

I suddenly recalled the look of yearning that had been on Lin Yao’s face the other day when she mentioned the word “freedom” when she saw the race.

Somewhere in my heart was a little crevice that had been moved by that. Looking at the light reflecting off the race team’s logo, I was suddenly hit by a flash of inspiration.

MC: Osborn! I think I can make a collection of outfits with racing as the main theme!

MC: Representing danger and boundaries, there's a nearly crazed kind of romance in the freedom it brings!

MC: And at the same time, it also represents one moving courageously forwards, pushing through until the very end!

MC: If you're alright with it, I want to go to the rest area for another—

Suddenly, I realized that I'd been going off on my own tangent and had literally info-dumped him with my thoughts. I hurriedly zipped my mouth shut, offering him an apologetic smile.

MC: Sorry. I want to go to the rest area to snap a couple more shots as reference material. Can I?

Osborn nodded with a smile.

Osborn: No problemo.

❖☆———————————★❖

It was already near noon by the time I finished taking all the photos I needed. My original plan was to head home, but Osborn said that he too, had something else on, so he had to leave and could spare me a ride back, asking me to wait for him.

Walking up to the entrance, I suddenly saw a thinly built man standing at a distance not too far away. He wore a hat, and his silhouette was a tad familiar.

MC: I feel like I've seen him somewhere before…

Just as I squinted in an attempt to better make out the identity of the person, a sound suddenly sounded from the grass by my feet.

??: Meow!

MC: !

I took a step back, only to see a small white cat looking up at me with its big round eyes. It immediately started circling my legs the moment I lowered my head, turning my attention to it.

MC: So it was you, little one. You nearly scared me half to death!

I knelt down, picking up a green foxtail to poke fun at it. The cat happily stood up, waving its two small forepaws in the air as it batted at it. Much to my astonishment, I found that it had deep gashes on its paws; and they were still bleeding.

Then, in the next moment, it let out a yowl, nabbing my finger and biting down before it quickly fled into the grass with lightning speed.

MC: Ah!

Small drops of blood beaded from the wound on my fingertips. I quickly took a tissue from my bag and pressed it against the wound to stop the bleeding.

MC: I'm glad I got that tetanus shot back then…

My heart gave a few uncomfortable lurches. I didn’t understand why the cat had suddenly gone all feral. Then, the sound of heavy and ragged breathing suddenly sounded in the direction that the cat had fled!

A shadow fell upon me, shrouding me within its shadowy cloak as a pair of feet, belonging to a man, entered my field of vision.

MC: !!

I raised my head. It was the man I was scrutinizing earlier! He looked very haggard, with messy hair covering his face and features.

I suddenly realized where I’d seen him beforeー He was the bodyguard who’d walked out of Lin Yao’s dressing room back at the studio the other day and bumped into the set! What’s he doing here?

An inexplicable sense of panic reared its ugly head. I turned around with the intent of fleeing, but the man swiftly reached out and lunged at me!

MC: Hel—

❖☆———————————★❖

My cry for help never left my throat, for he’d already constricted my airway. I struggled vehemently against him, but to no avail. My vision started growing blurry.

The man leaned greedily into my neck as if it was some sort of delectable delicacy.

Man: Finally… Finally, I can live…

In a flash, I suddenly recalled the “vampire attack” incidents that An’an had previously told me about!

My heart suddenly froze in my chest as the chills started to spread. It was getting increasingly harder to breathe, and I was running out of energy to even put up a fight, fast. No… I can’t give up! Never!

However, the terrifying blow of pain that I’d been expecting never came to pass. With a wail of pain, the man let go of me. Gone was the pressure that had been on my airway earlier.

I fell into the warm embrace of a pair of arms.

❖☆———————————★❖

Opening my eyes, my vision was enraptured by a clear blue light that I’d never seen before.

Osborn was hovering protectively about me, his eyes fixated on the back of the figure that made a break for it. Blue flames burned bright within the confines of his palm, flickering and swaying.

Osborn: You good?

I incredulously widened my eyes, thinking that everything I’d just experienced, and everything I was seeing right now, was just part of a dream.

However, the throbbing pain that lingered on my neck and the strange sight before me both told me that: No, this was not a dream. Not in the slightest.

MC: Blue… flames?

Something flashed within Osborn’s eyes. He was seemingly just as surprised by it as well. Then, the blue flames died down, disappearing from his open palm.

Osborn: Are you hurt?

MC: No… Thank you.

I raised my hand to touch my neck; the fear within my heart still lingering.

❖☆————— ⊹ For Light & Night⊹ —————★❖

Previous Part: (Chapter 3-3) | Next Part: (Chapter 3-8)

[thejollyroger-writer]

THE WASTELAND - DEAD MAN’S PEAK (14/15)

Some triggers: this story is rated TEEN, mostly for violence. It takes place during wartime, and some of the characters go through some violence and torture. If you need more information about this, please just message me!

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Almost there!! Thanks for sticking around with me for so long -- I promise it’s all worth it. 

SUMMARY:  In a world that has been saturated in war for as long as anyone can remember, Emma Swan has rebuilt her life as far away from the chaos as possible, opening her own maternity hospital after spending too many years in makeshift battlefield aid stations. But one night, a bloodied and battered soldier finds her hospital trying to get away from an enemy with a penchant for torture and a personal vendetta against him. With the help of Emma’s childhood friend Prince David and a motley collection of humans and magic-wielders, the quest to save Killian Jones’ life from the poison used by the enemy takes them to places even beyond the known world.

Specialist thanks to @spartanguard for her lovely art and @cssns​ for making it happen, and especially to all you guys who have stuck around for all of this – we’re almost done, I promise! Special shout-out to @thisonesatellite​ for her incredible fight scene beta work, bc I’m terrible at them and she is not and she helped wrangle my thoughts like Merlin had to wrangle -- well, you’ll see. Her help created one kick-ass kicking ass scene, and I hope you all enjoy it. 

Also on AO3

“The last climb to the peak is just ahead,” Wendy huffs, out of breath from the last big hill as she points ahead of them. Though they have kept the thought to themselves, there is a collective fear that the large wall of rock ahead of them was the last step of their journey, a silent prayer said to whatever higher power they believe in to spare them from what looms ahead. 

But even with that, not a single one of them is surprised to learn that their worst fears are true. 

Their adventure across the island has taken only a few hours since Wendy finished her story, a breath of fresh air to the hardships they’ve encountered over the last few days. It’s like the island has run out of obstacles for them, is ready for them to take the last leg of their journey and finally reach where they came here to go in the first place: Dead Man’s Peak, home of the healing waters which will hopefully save not not only Killian’s life, but David’s, as well. 

Now that they’re so close, can see the crags and footholds on the formation instead of simply a looming presence, a thought forms in the back of Emma’s mind, the reality of things she hasn’t allowed herself to think about. Though most of her fears come from travelling all the way to this island and failing to save Killian’s life, she finds herself thinking about what would happen if they failed to save David, about what it would mean for them to return to the Gale with news of the Prince’s death. What would they tell his father? How would they announce the news to the kingdom, when David’s rejection of his father’s views brought so much hope to so many people? The riots, the bloodshed, the anger that would come from that could be worse than the toll the War has taken on the people of the Gale.

She looks up from the path in front of her to where David and Mary Margaret are walking side by side and watches as he releases her hand to offer her the canteen from his hip. What would Mary Margaret do? Heartbreak would only be the beginning of her grief, raising a baby without the love of her life, without the man she has planned everything with for most of her life. In a world without him, without the hope he brought her, not to mention the rest of the world. Not a day would go by that she wasn’t reminded of her loss. 

“Emma, love, you okay?” She almost doesn’t hear him, drowning in her own fears, but Killian’s words pull her back to reality as he takes a few larger steps to catch up to her. 

“Hm?” She turns to him with as much of a smile as she can muster at the moment, though thankful that he acted when he did, before he could find herself more lost in the fears in the back of her mind. 

“You just looked like you were worried.” 

“Well,” she replies before gesturing generally around them, pulling a soft chuckle from Killian. 

“More worried than usual, then.” 

She wants to just shrug it off and say the island is getting the best of her, but she makes the mistake of turning towards him, seeing just how much he cares obvious in his pure blue eyes that have had her attention from the first moment he opened them the first morning she found him in her office. She sees the worry painted on his face, some of it from their circumstances; but knowing that some of that worry comes from the way he cares for her, she feels the walls she has built around herself crumble just a bit. “Something about almost being there is making me start to face the things I’ve been avoiding since this all started.”

“It’s going to be okay, love,” he whispers, reaching out to squeeze her hand, and though she can tell he doesn’t want to let go, he still does. 

“How do you know?” She has no idea where the question comes from, and the last thing she wants to do is put more stress on him, but once it’s out, there’s no taking it back. 

He just shrugs. “I don’t know for sure, really, but I have faith in you and in David and the rest of our crew.” 

“Aren’t you scared?” She feels the same way about this question as the previous one, and he stops, watching as David and Mary Margaret move down the path in front of them. This time, she’s the one who reaches out for his hand; he’s thankful for it and turns his attention towards how she threads her fingers through his instead of looking at her for his confession. 

“Of course I’m scared. I’ve never been so bloody terrified in my life. But if we’re destined to beat this, to get past this and leave Neverland behind, then whatever we find at the top of this mountain should be a piece of cake, as long as we do it together.” 

The urge to kiss him is too strong, the second time today she’s dealt with it, but there’s nothing to stop her now. They’re at the end of the group, no one to come through the brush behind them. “Killian,” she whispers, moving to close the space between them as she rests her other hand on his chest, careful to avoid the area where she knows his injury to be. She can feel the pounding of both of their hearts, his under her fingertips while hers is strong enough to be felt through her whole body — but just like every other time they’ve touched, it comes with the same wave of calming peace rushing over them. 

But Killian shakes his head, releasing her hand to rest his on her shoulder. “I can’t believe I’m saying this,” he mumbles with a chuckle. “I don’t — I want our first kiss to be without this cloud of death and destruction hanging over us, not until we know we’re both making it off this damned island.” 

She laughs softly, resting her head against his shoulder, “That might be the most sensible thing you’ve ever said to me, even if going home means going back to the Wasteland.” 

“After this, anything seems possible.” She moves to step away from him, but instead he places his hand on her hip, keeping her close to him. “Just… promise me something, Emma?” She looks back up at him and she doesn’t mean to pull her bottom lip between her teeth, but doesn’t regret the way his eyes grow wide at the sight of it, focused on her mouth until he blinks it away. “Don’t — don’t go back on this, yeah? On us?” 

Nodding, she swallows the lump in her throat. “Okay,” she says, her voice much more hoarse than she expected it to be. For a moment, neither of them dare to move, Killian’s thumb moving slowly against the soft skin above the waist of her pants as her fingers toy with the material of his tee shirt. If they could stay here, time unmoving around them, able to ignore everything but each other, no threat of poison, death, war, looming over them — they would take that without a second thought. 

But that’s not their current reality. “We should catch up with the others,” he whispers, though he already regrets that it would mean moving away from her, out of their shared moment, and she nods, stepping away from him, but reaching down to thread their fingers back together. A shadow of a smile crosses his face and he lifts her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss against the back of it, against the sensitive spot at the base of her wrist, as they begin to move back towards the rest of their friends. 

 The climb to the peak proves less futile than it looked, and between the magic of the Magistra, an Elder, and Merlin, they quickly build a quick magic-driven pulley system after Emma and Merlin climbed together. 

Everything moves smoothly, every climb taking only a few minutes, until only David, Robin, and Belle remain at the bottom. David takes the rope in his hands, wraps it around his left wrist — and falls to the ground, his knees hitting the worn dirt with a thump. 

“Dave!” Robin cries, rushing to his side, and Emma has to wrap her arm around Mary Margaret’s torso to keep her away from the ledge, soothing her as she screams out in fear. “Dave, what’s wrong?” Robin asks, kneeling next to where the Prince has fallen in the dirt. 

“Dreamshade.” He can barely get the word out, his shoulders rising and falling with quick, labored breaths. “Spreading.” 

Robin moves to lift his shirt, pausing to allow David to nod his permission. 

It’s bad. Very bad. Robin has watched as Emma checked on this wound over the few days since he obtained it, and has seen how it failed to spread from the man’s rib cage to the opposite side, staying away from his heart. Now, all of that has changed. Robin watches, eyes wide, as the poison continues to spread, inching closer to where David’s heart is pounding in his chest. 

“Bloody hell,” he mutters, and David turns his attention down to his wound, which he has been avoiding. When he sees what Robin sees, what causes Belle to gasp and cover her mouth as she looks over Robin’s shoulder, every drop of hope drains from his face, taking the color with it.

It’s just as bad as he expected, the absolute worst case scenario, and he squeezes his eyes shut as his nightmares come true, trying to keep himself from spiraling. He’s not making it off this island. He’s never going to see the Gale again, never going to watch the sunset over the mountains from his balcony. He’s not going to meet his heir, the child that has made it through the same Neverland hardships that he has — save the poison. 

“I can’t climb,” he whispers, wrapping his fingers around Robin’s forearm. 

Robin nods. “Yeah, okay, then you — you and I will stay down here.” 

But David shakes his head. “No, they... need you. To fight.” 

“I’m not leaving you down here alone.” 

“What’s going on?” Mary Margaret calls from the top of the cliff, still held back by Emma’s arm, though they have moved closer to the edge. 

“He can’t climb!” Belle calls back. 

“Let me go back down,” Mary Margaret says to no one in particular, and Emma releases her with a nod. 

“I'll go, too,” Regina says. 

No one argues with either of them, even through Regina’s uncharacteristic offer of assistance. 

“Can you poof us down there?” Mary Margaret asks, taking Regina’s hand when she offers it to her, confused but relieved by the soft smiles they share. 

Regina squeezes her hand with a nod. “I hope so.” One hand wrapped around Mary Margaret’s, she swirls the other in the air in front of them, leaving only a cloud of dark purple smoke. 

For a moment, then another, nothing happens. The whole island seems to hold its breath. And then they appear at the bottom of the cliff, just feet from where David and Robin are still kneeling in the dirt. 

“David,” Mary Margaret breathes, crossing the space between them with quick steps, Regina following close behind. Together, Robin and Regina help the prince to his feet, moving him away from the base of the cliff and helping him find a seat on a nearby rock. Mary Margaret sits beside him, threading her arm under his and weaving their fingers together. 

Once they’re set, Robin and Belle share a glance. “You ready to climb, ma’am?” 

Belle nods, but gestures for Robin to climb first. Though he hates to leave his friend behind, he has faith that Regina will be able to offer David the same protection that he would, perhaps more with her powers as an Elder. But David is right, and Robin belongs where the fight will be, his rifle more useful to Emma and Killian. 

Hopefully. 

As he makes the ascent, Robin fears that they may have played right into Pan’s trap, leaving David and Mary Margaret behind at the bottom of the cliff, far from the waters that should heal him once and for all. 

“You just need to make it to the water.” Wendy points through the brush towards the sound of rushing waters. “One sip, and you and your friend will be healed.”

Killian nods, his chest suddenly heavy with a weight that has been strangely absent, a fear that he has successfully avoided thinking about since he first learned that David had also been poisoned, that their fates were now entwined. The chance of them all getting off the island is slim — impossible, with the knowledge shared by Wendy just that morning. He moves towards the brush, knows that he must be the one to cut down the brambles — but he also knows, somehow, that if they were to look at his wounds, they would find the black spreading under his skin as well, further than it has before, getting closer to taking his life, to the end that he always knew was coming, somewhere in the back of his mind. 

“Who gets to do the honors?” Merlin asks, and though many of them are holding knives, no one moves any closer to the wall of plants. 

“It has to be me.” 

“Why?” Killian turns his attention from the brush to an overly-worried Robin for a moment before returning his gaze to the thorns that he recognizes from twelve years ago, from the day his brother died and every nightmare he’s had since then, and he points to the brush with his knife before taking the last step towards it. 

“Because it’s—” he begins, but Emma reaches out and places her hand on his arm, suddenly overcome with the overwhelming feeling that something is about to go terribly wrong. 

"Pan," she whispers. "I can feel him."

“Careful, Captain,” a voice calls from behind them, and they all turn to see Pan. “Though I’m sure you recognize—” 

“Dreamshade,” Robin says, still trying to put the pieces of it together. 

The demon and Killian nod simultaneously. “Did you tell them that you’re not feeling too well, that you can feel the poison reaching your heart?” He doesn’t want to look at her, but he can’t keep his gaze from finding hers. He should have told her. He shouldn’t have hidden it from them — from her. “What if I get your heart rate up? What if I tell you that the plant has gotten more potent since the last time you stood on this peak? It took minutes to kill your brother, but it will take mere moments for you now.” 

He can’t let his terror show on his face, he knows that, but still takes a small step away from the brush. 

Pan smiles. “You can’t hide your fear from me, Jones.” He turns away from Killian towards the rest of the group around him. “None of you can. Neverland thrives on fear. I know what all of you fear the most. The island can sense it. It tells me your deepest fears, though most of you are mortal and fear petty things like death and isolation.”

He turns on his heel and points directly at Emma. “Except you. The island senses nothing about you. I’ve given you the hardest tasks, the Echo Caves and bringing back his past love, but you, Miss Swan, are still unreadable.” 

Killian wishes he were surprised. Ever since he first crawled through the doors to her hospital, he knew she was something special, something unlike anything he’s ever experienced. Fate or not, he was never surprised that he fell in love with her. He’s only surprised that he’s gotten this far without acting on it, save his words in the Caves and his confession earlier that day. Every moment since then, he has regretted what he said to her earlier, not letting her kiss him, with the doom of their current adventure hanging over them like a bad omen. Everything about her has surprised him from the very beginning, from her beauty to her powers, from their connection to the fact that she is seemingly unaffected by this bloody island. If he can make it out of this alive, he wants a future with her, with the most amazing, brilliant, and beautiful woman he has ever met. He wants a future, he allows himself to think for the first time. He wants to make it off this island, back to his ship and his home and a place where he can live a happy life with her beside him, even if it’s a life filled with war and violence. With her, anything is possible. 

And that includes beating Pan. Once and for all, he senses. Somehow he knows that their battle against him will bring the end to the island, an end to the life of a timeless demon. If they can get there. 

“So, what, Pan?” Emma asks, and when Killian turns to her again, she has pulled the pistol from her waist holster. “Is this where we battle you? Where we fight for a winner once and for all?” 

He steps forward, right into the middle of their half-circle. “Is that what you want, Miss Swan? Or — what if I offer you a compromise?” 

“No,” Emma replies, without even a moment’s hesitation.

But Killian surprises himself when he says, “Hear him out, Swan.”

“No!” She wishes she could know how David felt about all of this. Since their first meeting, she has needed his guidance, and has barely made a decision, let alone something as important as this, without talking to him about it. But when she looks at Killian, who simply shrugs, her face softens — her whole frame softens, her pistol drops. 

“That’s more like it,” Pan says with a smile. “Here’s what I offer you: I’ll clear the thorns and heal the pirate and the prince, let you leave with who you’ve picked up along the way, but you must choose the two of you that stay.” 

Emma’s eyes go wide, and she lifts her pistol again. “No. No way.” Away from the rest of the group, Milah and Wendy also shake their heads, not willing to make their new friends make that decision.

“Fine” Pan says, turning away from them to look at the brambles of Dreamshade sitting behind him.

Whether Pan expects it or not, this is the opening they are waiting for, and everything happens in the same moment: Emma fires a shot, just as Will throws one of the knives on his hip and Merlin raises his hands to bring smoke up around him. 

Emma's bullet grazes his arm as he flicks his other hand, sending Will's knife back towards him. It lodges in Will’s shoulder, and Belle is the fastest to act, reaches out to take Will’s hand and disappears in a cloud of golden smoke. Pan turns his attention towards Emma, glares at her as he raises his hand to stem the bleeding. 

Robin and Emma share a glance and fire simultaneously, serving as a distraction from Merlin, who is trying to wrangle a path through the brush. The brush reacts like a living entity, fighting against each one of the Merlin’s movements as it bends and waves towards him.  

Pan poofs to another location as Killian sheathes his knife and brings his rifle to his shoulder just as Graham quickly aims his rifle and fires. He senses the demon's movements and puts himself between Pan and Killian just as Emma raises her pistol, also moving towards Killian as he fires again and Pan deflects — but it finds another target when it hits Graham in the chest and knocks him to the ground. 

Merlin, successful with his tussle with the Dreamshade, rushes to Graham’s side, magic already shooting from his palms as he presses them against the injured chest, and Robin moves towards them. 

Milah rushes towards the action and pulls her knife from its sheath before turning towards Pan, who is pushing Emma and Killian towards the Dreamshade with his magic.  When Milah is inches from Pan he turns towards her, waves his hand in the air, and the knife disappears from her hand and reappears in Pan’s just in time for him to plunge it into her chest. “Oh, Milah,” he says, mock sadness in his voice, as she falls to the ground. Killian screams, trying to rush Pan, but he pushes back with his magic, powerful enough to knock both Killian and Emma off their feet and through the hole Merlin wrangled in the brush, right into the water beyond it. 

Killian feels it acting right away, as soon as it soaks through this clothing and reaches his skin. All of the legends and the research, and even Wendy just a few minutes before, said that the healing power of the water would come from drinking it, but something else is happening here. 

Something magical. 

It rejuvenates him, all of the energy of a perfectly warm shower on a cold day, lighting up the dark crevices inside of him that have been broken and hidden for so long. His skin tingles with a power unlike anything he has ever experienced, and he watches, eyes wide, as the scratches, scars, and bruises that cover his arms disappear. When he feels it reach his heart, it almost knocks the wind out of him, and he lifts his shirt just in time to watch the healing powers of the water reach the gash in his side, and the magical iridescence of the poison slowly disappears before the wound closes, leaves only a scar behind. He is aware of every movement within his body: the beating of his heart, yes, but the way his blood flows through his veins and the movement of his skin as it heals around the wound on his arm and the gash in his side. 

He turns his attention towards Emma, who has been watching him intently since they landed beside each other in the water. He's not ready for the tears in her eyes, her relieved, elated smile, the brightness of her eyes that has been muted since they first met, brought back to its full brilliance by watching him heal from wounds that, only hours before, had been deadly. 

"Enough!" Pan yells, raising his hands in front of him, and everything around them stops — the rushing of the water, the wind through the trees, and the movement of their friends on the other side of the bushes — but Pan's magic has no effect on Emma and Killian, hands joined as they stand in the waist-deep water. 

“You can do this, Swan,” he whispers, watching Pan's eyes widen in fear as he realizes that they are not affected by his magic. Something more than ever before flows through her with his touch. She wonders if it is from the water, or Killians newfound hope — or something more, something deeper than what she can imagine, older than the War and the Gale and older than the earth itself — and with the energy from Killian’s touch flowing through her she focuses all of her power into her hands, creating a bright ball of light that even Pan cannot deflect. 

It hits him square in the chest and he falls to the ground, releases the rest of their friends from his power, and, mouths agape, they watch as Pan changes before their eyes, aging from the young teenage body he was in, through young adult and adult and middle-aged into a wrinkled, withered old man, who takes his last gasping breath with Wendy standing above him. 

"The island dies with me," he chokes, and they barely have time to celebrate their victory before Pan's words become a reality. Everything around them starts to crumble, and Killian quickly fills his canteen with the healing waters before they begin to disappear. 

"Let's get out of here," Merlin says, reaching out to take the hands of his companions. "I've never moved this many people at the same time. Emma, maybe you can help?" 

"Just tell me what to do." 

"Close your eyes. Picture as much about where we left the Jolly as you can, not only the ship, but the beach and the water. Do you think you can do that?" 

They take their place beside Merlin, hands still clenched together, and she smiles at Killian as they join the circle. "Yeah, I can do that." 

Robin lifts Graham’s corpse over his shoulder, the last to join them as the earth under their feet begins to shake, threatening an earthquake. 

"Let's get out of here," Killian says, hoping that the faith he has in Emma is enough to get them back to the ship. 

But after what they just experienced, anything seems possible. 

TAGS:  @shireness-says​​ @cssns​ @kmomof4​​ @thisonesatellite​​  @teamhook​​ @darkcolinodonorgasm​​ @cocohook38​​ @ultraluckycatnd​​ @facesiousbutton82​​ @hollyethecurious​ @stahlop​ @tiganasummertree​​  @angellifedeath​​ @pepperpottss​ @mariakov81​ @scientificapricot​ @kday426​ @xarandomdreamx​​ @ohmightydevviepuu​ @xhookswenchx​ @nikkiemms @carpedzem​​ @superchocovian​ @resident-of-storybrooke​​ @snowbellewells​​ @courtorderedcake​ @captain-emmajones​ @killian-whump​ @officerrogers​​ @killianjonesownsmyheart1​ @captainkillianswanjones​​ – want to be added or removed? let me know!

[givemeonebreath]

A big, messy Linked Universe playlist

Link for Links

Heavy on the angst, because of who I am as a person. (At the same time, don’t take it too seriously, man.)

Influenced by canon, manga (TP Link is really Going Through It™ ), my personal perceptions, and popular fandom canon.

A pretty wide variety of genres, with a bias towards metal and prog rock.

I kept snippets of lyrics for most songs, also because of who I am as a person. (Some were particularly hard to narrow down to just one verse or chorus.) Those - and a little more rambling - are under the cut if you really want, in the order of the playlist. But. It’s long.

I didn’t initially make this with the intent to share, but hey. Throughout my past year+ of listening, I’ve been haphazardly adding songs to a playlist I very creatively named Links. If something reminded me of them, whether through the music or lyrics or both, I threw it on the playlist, so some songs might seem odd or vague. Some are really on the nose, as subtle as a sledgehammer. (Sky for Sky? Dude. Sorry.) Some are there because of a fitting line or two that stuck in my head. Ultimately, music - like any form of creative expression - can be interpreted in a multitude of ways. 

My listening habits and tastes are erratic, which is why this is one big, jumbled playlist and not separated for different Links. Not to mention if I did that, some (Wild, Legend) would have a lot and some (Wind, Four) would have none, both because of my own familiarity with them, and because of the general themes of the music I tend to listen to. Most songs are a general ‘hero’s spirit reborn’ mood, anyway - those are the first part of the playlist. The second half is more nuanced to specific Links, plus a few Ganon vibes.

1. Deep Purple - April (Koji Kondo, composer of the original Legend of Zelda theme, was into Deep Purple as a kid, and it shows.)

2. Kamelot - Regalis Apertura

3. Au4 - So Just Hang On, Beautiful One (I’ve posted this here before. I can’t hear it without thinking of LU now.) So I slipped in through the gate almost unknown. All my border stamps were late. Seven days old. Cold hand griped my shoulder blade, broke the bone. Bloody nose and turned away, all the way home.

4. FC Kahuna - Hayling Don’t think about all those things you fear, just be glad to be here

5. Glass Animals - Youth Boy, when I left you you were young I was gone, but not my love You were clearly meant for more Than a life lost in the war

6. Pain of Salvation - Restless Boy A restless boy in a world too slow A flame born into cinder, ash, and glow I've given everything I gave it all Yet find myself alone

7. Haken - The Endless Knot Our design shifted frame by frame! Across the line our cycle starts to fail. Our design shifted frame by frame! Across the line we die to live again.   We need a story to believe in. We need a hero to prevail. We need a challenge we can overcome, it takes a tragedy to make us one 

8. Kamelot - Memento Mori (I particularly associate this with Time and Twilight) I am the god in my own history The master of the game I may believe if she would come to me And whisper out my name Sometimes I wonder where the wind has gone If life has ever been Sometimes I wonder how belief alone Can cut me free from sin

9. Katatonia - Fighters Look I told you so We never stop If we said that We'll back it up For sure You know We're fighters

10. Megadeth - This Day We Fight! (I mean, all Links, but particularly Warriors) For this I was chosen, because I fear nothing With confidence I tread through the dead of the night Off to another war-torn, faraway battlefield Wherein lies a demonic enemy horde

11. Moon Tooth - Igneous Well, the spirit took me And this old broken body leapt up and danced Settin’ out Settin' out with all my heroes in a bundle at my back Hawk am I More wings span in my shadow than overcast Yeah, you know what they say Always need something to look up to, ha

12. Samael - Moongate Destiny, tomorrow is today Destiny, without boundaries How many nights will we spend together traveling infinity back and forth and again How many times will we go together questioning eternity about us about our wonders...

13. TOOL- Parabola This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality Embrace this moment, remember We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion

14. Lunatic Soul - Blood on the Tightrope No matter how hard you try To shut down your feverish thoughts They hunt you down with no regret Cause you have to fix it all

15. Hybrid - Keep It In The Family

16. Soul Savers - Unbalanced Pieces Gone, now carry on Through violent seasons I call you mother, mother, mother In vain, absent chain The twilight's bleeding And the playing board has two unbalanced pieces

17. Steve Von Till - Valley of the Moon All she gives is a stone facade Like ill-given flowers at a dead man's wake Here we slave for the dreams of another And fight over scraps like wayward dogs

18. Ludovico Einaudi - Experience

19. Lunatic Soul - Summoning Dance Three stones on the right side Three stones on the left My vicious circle of life and death   “Oh you want it” I hear it again “Oh you want it” My burden Curse to break

20. Lunatic Soul - Through Shaded Woods Run through your shaded woods Run through your shaded mind Run through the night Run away Run through the darkness Run

21. Lunatic Soul - Naavie

22. David Bowie - Nature Boy There was a boy A very strange, enchanted boy They say he wandered very far Very far, over land and sea A little shy and sad of eye But very wise was he

23. The Dandy Warhols - Sleep Well, I could sleep forever But it's of her I dream If I could sleep forever I could forget about everything 

24. Au4 - Everyone is Everyone (and Everything is Everything) Tripping and tumbling, Flipping and fumbling. Flowing on the rivers of sadness That have been forever rumbling.   But from dawn until now Of all the paths that I could have gone down Of all the valleys That I could have been flowing through.   In spite of all the chaos And all that has come between us, How is it I still find myself Here with you. 

25. Kingcrow - Everything Goes Your hands again upon the ground Falling rain for hours and hours As you learn the game Time dispels the fog ... Ever been there? Ever felt like prey? Ever thought your mind was feeble? Lot of things that don’t make sense

26. Pain of Salvation - Icon As a child I felt too old And now when I'm grown-up I feel too young A different kind so I've been told Just slightly out of reach and out of time

27. Sophia Loizou - Divine Interference (I got spooky dungeon vibes. Also, the title.)

28. Carpenter Brut - Fab Tool Runnin Gunnin Forward in the phantom shatter so grand Splatter grand, arcanum fuel Wrought iron out of the sky Over me, tells no lie

29. Blue Stahli - Death Will Have to Run All on the open road Where none will ever grow A journey toward the known With countless miles to go

30. Gyroscope - Mistakes & Ladders I am the first? No I can't be the first A continuous nothing, destined for something Tell me who you are and why you trapped me here

31. Queens of the Stone Age - Run, Pig, Run Run, pig, run Here I come

32. Chali 2na & Krafty Kuts - Guard The Fort The swords are drawn and odds are stacked And we clash the impact's a thunderous clap Calm demeanor Even though we are under attack [...my turn to guard the fort ready for combat]

33. The Great Discord - Army of Me (lol)

34. Kongos - Terrified I think I'll start again and change my name You only live once or twice, what a shame Somebody fucked up when designing this game

35. Woodkid - Run Boy Run Run, boy, run! This ride is a journey to Run, boy, run! The secret inside of you Run, boy, run! This race is a prophecy Run, boy, run! And disappear in the trees

36. The Beta Machine - The End A million miles away from you this time I'll do what it takes I'm on my way If lines are in the sand I'll go under If I can make it in time I will bring you back with me

37. Devin Townsend Project - Gump When we last met who was I? I'm sorry we no longer see eye to eye The energy to keep you in while keeping myself out I'm sorry how you'll take this  But I just don't have the patience anymore 

38. Arrested Youth - Riot! I can't get much satisfaction living in this cave It's tough to breathe, I'm in the belly of the beast Can't sleep with all my rage With me and all my generations living in this cage Pick up your guns and tell your sons, tonight we break the cage

39. Led Zeppelin - Friends So anytime somebody needs you Don't let them down, although it grieves you Some day you'll need someone like they do Looking for what you knew

40. Faunts - M4, pt 2 (Wild) Fight your foes you're not alone Holy war is on the phone Asking to please stay on hold Bleeding loss of blood runs cold And I need you to recover   Because I can't make it on my own

41. Faith No More - Ashes to Ashes (Wild) I want them to know it's me, it's on my head I'll point the finger at me, it's on my head Smiling with the mouth of the ocean And I'll wave to you with the arms of the mountain

42. Devin Townsend - Jupiter (Wild) I know you At least I think I do Everything's changed But in the days that are so dark It's wonderful

43. Katatonia - Neon Epitaph (Wild) Shadow of my shadow Cling not to my grief I am long left behind now You are free

44. The Smashing Pumpkins - The Beginning is the End is the Beginning (Wild) Time has stopped before us The sky cannot ignore us No one can separate us For we are all that is left The echo bounces off me The shadow lost beside me There's no more need to pretend Cause now I can begin again 

45. Katatonia - Lacquer (Wild) My voice travelling Soaring bird above your head The house we lived in Ridden with disease ... The levee breaking I can't live to fight once more The road to the grave is straight as an arrow I'm just staying around to sing your song, baby

46. Eskimo Joe - This is Pressure (Wild) There is no romance in suffocation  The walls fall down like your expectations You want to scream  And you want to shout But you've built up steam  And you can't let it out This is pressure 

47. Portugal. The Man - 1000 Years (Wild) We'll wait 1000 years  Until the end of time We'll wait 1000 more Dressed up in gold and white We'll climb the mountain sides  To find what's in the sky We'll dig through mountain sides  To find what's deep inside

48. Au4 - An Ocean’s Measure of Sorrow (Wild) Forgot my name and who I was. Memories of nothing floating up. All of the sorrow we once knew, Colours the ocean's water blue.

49. Band of Skulls - Carnivorous (Twilight) I am corrosive and cohesive Like a chemical bond I'm all together undone I am the broken kingdom I'm just so, so, so  So carnivorous

50. Glass Animals - Flip (Twilight) I wanna go back with a club and attack I wanna take to my guns and break you I gotta make my little foe take his own

51. TV on the Radio - Wolf Like Me (Twilight) My mind has changed my body's frame, but, God, I like it My heart's aflame, my body's strained, but, God, I like it

52. Kamelot - The Spell (Twilight) All my demons cast a spell The souls of dusk rising from the ashes So the book of shadows tell The weak will always obey the master

53. OSI - Radiologue (Legend) I was dreaming I was heading west thirty days faster Had a fever woke up in a sweat bailing out the water  Can't go on Can't go back   Heard your voice coming through the noise wrote it in the radio log Hurt my head, wondering what you said so I threw it overboard  

54. Katatonia - Don’t Tell A Soul (Legend) I have been destroyed by the perfection that is a lie see I'm moving soon see my feet are already on the road and if you know where I’m going don’t tell a soul

55. Haken - The Mind’s Eye (Legend) The shape of things to come are closer than they seem Changing your design every time you disappear I'm planning my escape through portals of your mind Where people seem to drop like flies

56. Pain of Salvation - Species (Legend) Sometimes I hate my fucking species Yet most days I'll do anything to please it  My generation was fooled to pursue our dreams But it is not what it seems You never need what you want And you rarely want what you need

57. Euringer - Do You Kiss Your Mama with That Mouth? (Legend) All my life, misunderstood I'm fuckin' too smart, too smart for my own good The last question, before I go is "Hey motherfucka, do you kiss your mama with that mouth?"  Yes! I kiss your mama with this mouth

58. !!! - Pardon My Freedom (Legend) Like I give a fuck, like I give a shit Like I give a fuck about that shit Like I give a fuck about that motherfucking shit

59. Team Sleep - Ataraxia (Legend) Froze asleep Coma deep I dream I'm out with you Alone at sea

60. Oliver Tank - Embrace (Legend) You're in my dreams The world is torn apart at the seams And I don't wanna leave Wearing my heart on it's sleeve

61. Machine Gun Fellatio - The Girl of My Dreams (Is Giving Me Nightmares) (Legend) The girl of my dreams is giving me nightmares I don't know what it means but she's got multi-coloured hair When she stands in the sand I dream of peaches And I'm not sure what that means either

62. Earl Greyhound - Shotgun (Legend & Hyrule) I am nobody, nobody is who I am I am a traveler on this land And nothing, nothing, nothing in my hands

63. TV on the Radio - Staring at the Sun (Hyrule) You're staring at the sun You're standing in the sea Your mouth is open wide You're trying hard to breathe The water's at your neck There's lightning in your teeth Your body's over me

64. Echo & The Bunnymen - The Killing Moon (Time) Fate Up against your will Through the thick and thin He will wait until You give yourself to him

65. Sufjan Stevens - Sugar (Sky) Don’t break my heart, don’t break my flow now And all this rage has got to go now Let’s take up this lifeline Come on, baby, gimme some sugar Don’t make me wait Don’t make me wait too long Don’t make me sing the sad song Come on, baby, gimme some sugar

66. Obsydians - Ascension (Sky) Rise above the hardships you’ll face I will sign and keep on rising As long as you are giving me your soul and keep me awake Feel like home and spread your light around I will listen and just be there As long as you are giving me your love I’ll give you my soul

67. Sonique - Sky -_-

68. Enter Shikari - The King (Ganon) Watch your back, my friend I'm about to kickstart a cycle Of never ending revenge And this time it's primal, it's tribal

69. Saul Williams - WTF! (Ganon, Hylia) "You've been polluted, uprooted by time You have been muted, computed but I'm A living vessel of the one, of the moon, of the sun" Hey! You ain't as dead as you seem, what the fuck? Hey! But you keep living your lies

70. These New Puritans - We Want War (Ganon/ Dark Link/ any nemesis I guess) Shadows dance back up, it's happening again If you listen carefully you might hear them whisper: "We hold all the secrets, we hold all the words; But they're scrambled and broken so you'll never know" Can't you see them Floating like black ash? Can't you feel them Crawling down your back?

[incarnateirony]

So here we are, The Great Supernatural Rewatch, 01.01 Pilot. If unfamiliar with this rewatch, please check my Objectives and Bracketing post [x], and then my Methodology Notes [x]; Also, reminder that I’m not the only person doing this, though each in their own ways. My Objectives and Methodology are my own. 

I’m trying to get a little ahead of the official Jan 3 start date, since I know I will... inevitably fall behind, and this episode was ripe for the initial pick-through for the inevitability of a thousand call backs.

That said, with level  1. SYNCHRONIC: As it reads, unto itself, as best divorced from future knowledge of the story, it’s difficult to do much actual “meta” as much as review and commentary since literally it’s all character and story introductions. There’s some to be had, but beyond things like lighting, the Level 1 viewing tier is not going to lend towards much beyond basic archetypes, and a lot of mythology breakdown. This post will be heaving Level 2 weighted as a result. Most tier-1 posting is going to be an early build of key words, phrases and signs to assemble throughout the season watching (and tap back on later for tier 2 by tagging.)

Also a few unannounced side projects; I’m about to start a “Combat Counter” and “Marksmanship Counter”, to see how Sam and Dean handle both in physical battles/scraps over time compared to each other, and who has the better overall aim in the long term.

Some things saved in this post will seem random and arbitrary, but are potential flags I intend to keep, mostly for later level 2, DIACHRONIC study.

Now to get to the meat:

STUDY: REWATCH/REVIEW STAGE

Allow me to lead with: this episode even unto itself is a fine spectacle of just how much the genre shifted over time. I am a huge fan of David Nutter’s directing; many would know him from, say, Game of Thrones. He didn’t stay long--just Pilot and Wendigo--before moving on. But some of his touches stayed with the show for a few years. The entire ambiance is a giant testiment to survival-horror, a grimness to it, even if the CW itself could never truly capitalize on it. The mood and ambiance was successfully played on. The entire episode is rife with cloudy lighting beaming between bars and through windows, bold silhouette shots, and more that gives an air of mystery even after some characters are established. Dynamic shots are plenty.

Your early reading here isn’t going to tell you much you don’t already know, but is for filing, review, and even reminder/refresher purposes. As the season unfolds, there’s going to be more to interconnect, obviously. If you would like to read more observations on actual parallels, scroll to the DIACHRONIC STUDY header. If I’ve taken a screenshot, even in Synchronic, it’s because it’s a flag I do expect to come back up in diachronic study later and need to catalogue for future parallels and address.

So, imagining it’s 2005, we’re watching Supernatural for the first time. We’re in a very different world, Both in the show, and in the real world. A standard, haunting discord rattles the minds of the audience as a tree moves like a hand towards the window of a suburban home.

We see a classic, nuclear family in this standard home, saying their charming goodnights to an infant. But within moments, we’re told in every classic way that everything is wrong. The infant’s mobile turns on its own accord; the clock stops.

It’s 8:12pm when the world goes haywire. The decorative moon in the room flickers, growing dim. The mother wakes to the sound of a distressed infant on the baby monitor. She rises from bed in her gown.

This is a point I’m left to negotiate cursed knowledge: to all visual cues, the mother’s attire appears to be white. The audience perceived it as white. But we know it, and Jess’ gown later, was actually pink; the film stock failed to capture it. Both short term and much louder in the long term, these two colors can deliver two very different meanings. But for us, a viewer consuming a digital medium with no knowledge beyond what they published, I’m left to decide that the text seems to determine her in a white gown.

The wife sees a stark silhouette, asking if the child was hungry, assuming it was her husband that quieted her. She turns away, tapping on a flickering light over an old marriage portrait that one can only assume was a previous family generation. She descends the stairs.

Here she finds her husband is sleeping. Panic takes her, bringing her to the room. Quickly, chaos erupts. As does she, once seen bleeding down onto the hand of the father from above the crib. We see her, sunken eyes, already dying, screaming without a sound. Silent. Unable to make a noise.

The camera details the desperation of the father rushing his infant to his older child. “Take your brother outside as fast as you can, don’t look back. Now Dean, GO.”

I’m unclear what John thinks he’s going to achieve running back in for Mary as fire takes the home. But soon, he finds young Dean, 4, outside, holding an infant, “I've got you Sammy.” John erupts out of the house as the windows begin to blow, sweeping in to carry Dean, who carries Sam.

As the fire department arrives, the first cords of a song we would later come to recognize as Americana haunt through otherwise chilling music that climbs actively to punch out through our first cold open.

The Winchesters are our first cold open.

We find ourselves in modern day with the rick of a rock cord, and a young woman in a white nurse outfit adjusting her earings while framed by an image of John and Mary--the mother and father--in a picture frame. Though she calls for Sam, we see nothing of Dean--not even a picture. The image on the counter tells of a life Sam(my) was too young to even know, but perhaps is in his blonde-haired woman who teases him about halloween while standing in front of a mirror.

Sam is clearly in his young prime, celebrating his LSAT with a 174 score much to his chagrin with friends dressed up in all styles of wardrobe. Behind Sam a neon black cat sign may just jinx his future in warm but dull lighting; ghostly drapes hide behind Jess in a blue, sharper light.

Sam’s friends perceive he must be the Golden Boy of the family. Jess is proud of him. “What would I do without you?” “Crash and burn.”

Night onsets. Dim lighting feels dusty despite the otherwise hopeful environment. Heavy creaking, groaning, footsteps; Sam rises on instinct, spying an open door and catching haunting noises--sounds. An intruder. And one fateful fight. The choreography spares little.

In actual combat, the intruder--quickly identified as Dean--comes out on top. (Combat ticker: Sam vs Dean: Dean 1) Easy there, tiger. As Dean haunts, revealing his roguish personality quickly, he’s then gotten the better of (this is not going to be considered a combat ticker, it’s not actual combat, but aftermath).

Sam challenges why Dean broke in, but Dean knew Sam would have never picked up without him. They’re interrupted from their silhouetting by the light flicking on, and Dean further displays his roguish charm, enjoying her smurfs, not dreaming of her getting dressed; but soon, it’s down to business--Dean says it’s private family matters. Sam, a unit in the doorframe with Jess, says it can be said in front of her. Until the fateful line: “Dad’s on a hunting trip, and he hasn’t been home in a few days.” The camera zooms on Sam’s set jaw to tell the audience how much weight is in that line as the audio itself drags a raw cord of suspense.

The dizzying stairs are a descent into a world Sam seems to have left behind, with the audience viewing from below. Quickly, we’re introduced to ideas: the Poltergeist in Amherst, the Devil’s Gate in Clifton, “always missing and always fine.” Sam’s bitterness is thick: rather than telling him not to be afraid of the dark, “dad gave me a .45″, though Dean challenges what he should have done. They soon stand in a cage of sharply lit bars, arguing if this was what their mother would have wanted--to be raised like warriors.

Dean challenges if Sam would want a normal apple pie life; Sam slaps back: not normal, safe. “And that’s why you ran away.”--But John told him to stay gone. Regardless, Dean doesn’t want to do it alone. Sam asks what he was hunting, and why Dean wasn’t there; Dean was working a voodoo thing in New Orleans.

Dean reveals Jericho, California--10 men over to years on the same 5 mile stretch of road.

The “Ran it through A Goldwave” is a funny side comment but I’m not gonna get into why beyond LOL “through a goldwave”, that’s-- whatever. But we hear, in EVP, “I can never go home.”

The average viewer, at this point, isn’t going to be deeply instructing the story parallels--and in the scheme of it, Sam’s fear of going home barely scratches the meta surface. We do know John has been missing for three weeks. And find out Sam has a Monday deadline for his entry to lawschool, “whole future on a plate.” Jess worries over disappearing with his family, reminding of the deadline, but he promises to be back in time.

A sharp cut to JERICHO, CALIFORNIA. The driver shares similar concerns to Sam, “if I miss it, dad’s gonna have my ass,” he tells his girlfriend on the phone. A woman in white appears down the road as the car clock fries at 10:17, asking to be taken home. “Take me home?” “She lives at the end of breckenridge road.” “A girl like you shouldn’t really be alone out here.” She hikes her skirt. “I’m with you. Do you think I’m pretty? Will you come home with me?” hell yeah.

They arrive at a dillapidated home. “I can never go home.” No one even lives here. He steps out, turns around, and she’s gone. An eerie handprint appears on the window.

He decides to leave, clearly feeling the offsettling vibes, but isn’t alone. She steams with animosity in the backseat.

He looks into his mirror.

And wipes out.

After a violent death, we cut back to our boys and another exposition: credit card scams (jesus, could sam have yelled it any louder?), breakfast in a gas station bag, you gotta update your casette tape collection--why? because for one, they’re casette tapes. Black Sabbath, Motorhead, Metallica--it’s the greatest hits of mullet rock. “House rules Sammy, Driver picks the music, rider shuts his cakehole.” “Sammy is a chubby 12 year old.” “What, can’t hear you.”

ENTER, JERICHO

Internal impala shots galore will end up being a major vibe of our next few years. A spunky guitar theme plays that we will eventually come to know.  Dean pulls out a cigar box full of fake badges ranging from FBI to Bureau of Tobacco from the glove box, quickly showing us how deep this path goes for them already.

The cops review the mystery: no fingerprints, spotless; we find out that the victim was dating the cop’s daughter, who was posting missing flyers downtown. The boys introduce themselves as federal agents, are challenged for being too young, and Dean sasses his way through, “that’s very kind of you.” -- while gathering basic intel, we quickly find Dean’s tongue getting ahead of him, calling their lack of ability to find a connection beyond them all being male victims, calling it crack police work. The brothers’ dual personas exit the crime scene with a cuff upside the head from Sam to Dean, a bickering match, and Dean leaving a Mulder and Scully crack on the cops.

They quickly find Amy, the girlfriend, and lie to claim that were Troy’s relatives and had heard about her, and move to a diner to talk about events.

No major unusual things to warrant events; Sam compliments her necklace. She jokes that Troy got it for her to freak out her parents for “devil stuff”, but Sam quickly educates her on the pentagram meaning the opposite, a symbol of protection.

But there are weird rumors in town--people talk. In-sync, “what do they talk about”; a local legend. She tells them of a girl murdered on centennial where anyone who picks her up disapears forever. The brothers quickly move on to a library with a clunky monitor, fully dating us; not just the lack of good cell phones and wifi, but the equipment and the appearance of the search engine alone. Right, we’re watching this in 2005. 

The brothers slapfight again, but Sam shows that even away from the life he never lost his prowess. He asks, “Angry spirits are born out of violent death, right?” and searches for suicide. 1981, 24 years prior. “Our babies were gone and Constance couldn’t bear it.”

 So they go to see where Constance took the swan dive.

The brothers begin to fight.

SAM Dean, I told you, I've gotta get back by Monday—

DEAN turns around.

DEAN Monday. Right. The interview.

SAM Yeah.

DEAN Yeah, I forgot. You're really serious about this, aren't you? You think you're just going to become some lawyer? Marry your girl?

SAM Maybe. Why not?

DEAN Does Jessica know the truth about you? I mean, does she know about the things you've done?

SAM steps closer.

SAM No, and she's not ever going to know.

DEAN Well, that's healthy. You can pretend all you want, Sammy. But sooner or later you're going to have to face up to who you really are.

DEAN turns around and keeps walking. SAM follows.

SAM And who's that?

DEAN You're one of us.

SAM hurries to get in front of DEAN.

SAM No. I'm not like you. This is not going to be my life.

DEAN You have a responsibility to—

SAM To Dad? And his crusade? If it weren't for pictures I wouldn't even know what Mom looks like. And what difference would it make? Even if we do find the thing that killed her, Mom's gone. And she isn't coming back.

DEAN grabs SAM by the collar and shoves him up against the railing of the bridge. A long pause.

DEAN Don't talk about her like that.

They’re interrupted as Constance appears, diving off the cliff, and immediately taking control of the Impala.

“Dude, who’s driving your car?” Dean holds up his keys.

They flee, over the bridge, and share another movement. One more fake card later, they find themselves in John’s room, room 10, in a motel. Sam remarks that the place is covered in Salt, and Cat’s Eye Shells. The entire room is covered in case work and lore. 

I’ll break down the lore of these in a later mythos reblog, though the Asmodeus one really catches my eye for reasons outside of this episode.

Sam finds a photo-- a distinctly different family than the one on his college dresser. There, it’s John and Mary as an ideal image that framed Jessica. Here, it’s the life he walked away from. But while Dean heads out, he’s spotted by police, and their old coded dialect pops out, “Five Oh, take off.” Federal marshalls confront him: They’re looking for his partner (cue Wincest fans trying to make meta that’s about to be shot down one scene later, in the distance), fake US Marshalls, fake credit cards, is there anything about you that’s Real. My boobs.

Just putting a flag in the name Sheriff Pierce, we’ll figure out if that’s ever valid to anything later. But he tells Dean of the trouble he’s in with a room full of missing people and devil worship, for Dean to snap back he was 3 when they went missing. But they knew he had more than one partner. An older man. John’s journal is thrown out (Wincest meta dies a terrible death beyond previous scene)

Again, I’ll translate the FUTHARK in a follow up post, this is already taking a lot of time as it is.

Meanwhile, Sam is investigating the leads they and John both found. Previously spoken intents to burn her has him ask about her being buried at an old plot by Breckenridge at their old place.

SAM And why did you move?

JOSEPH I'm not gonna live in the house where my children died.

SAM stops walking. JOSEPH stops too.

SAM Mr. Welch, did you ever marry again?

JOSEPH No way. Constance, she was the love of my life. Prettiest woman I ever known.

SAM So you had a happy marriage?

JOSEPH hesitates.

Putting a flag in this for later.

But Sam decides to call the man out.

SAM A woman in white. Or sometimes weeping woman?

JOSEPH just looks.

SAM It's a ghost story. Well, it's more of a phenomenon, really.

SAM starts back toward JOSEPH.

SAM Um, they're spirits. They've been sighted for hundreds of years, dozens of places, in Hawaii, Mexico, lately in Arizona, Indiana. All these are different women.

SAM stops in front of JOSEPH.

SAM You understand. But all share the same story.

JOSEPH Boy, I don't care much for nonsense.

JOSEPH walks away. SAM follows.

SAM See, when they were alive, their husbands were unfaithful to them.

JOSEPH stops.

SAM And these women, basically suffering from temporary insanity, murdered their children.

JOSEPH turns around.

SAM Then once they realized what they had done, they took their own lives. So now their spirits are cursed, walking back roads, waterways. And if they find an unfaithful man, they kill him. And that man is never seen again.

JOSEPH You think...you think that has something to do with...Constance? You smartass!

SAM You tell me.

JOSEPH I mean, maybe...maybe I made some mistakes. But no matter what I did, Constance, she never would have killed her own children. Now, you get the hell out of here! And you don't come back!

Sam is flushed out, and makes a fake 911 call to break Dean out, pointing out that the husband had been unfaithful. More dramatic silhouette shots really capture the early spirit of the piece, with Dean using a phone booth in lieu of other options. Hell, Dean was able to find a phone booth, let that take you back. They determine that John left Jericho, and establish his ex-marine habits with the coordinates, 35-111 that Dean had lied through to the cop. But while on the phone, the woman in white appears in front of Sam on the road, non-crashing. 

She controls the car again, and forces him to drive to a broken home, repeating, “I can never go home.” Sam recognizes: “You’re scared to go home.” And that’s when the creepy ghost rapey vibes start, mounting him, demanding he hold her, she’s cold. “You can’t kill me, I’m not unfaithful.” He argues. You will be. Just hold me.

As she goes to rip out his heart, she flickers with the beat of his.

Dean breaks into the scene, unloading 12 shots into the ghost with iron bullets to disrupt her manifestation, giving Sam time to sit up and say, “I’m taking you home.”, where he drives through the house. Dean helps Sam out of the car, only to be telekinetically pinned by a dresser to be disabled.

The lights flicker again. Children manifest, water runs down the stairs, looking eerily like the light could be the Winchester’s old home

Here, she falls when reunited with her children. Sam clarifies--she could never go home, she was too afraid to face her kids (while not viable for the synchronic study, for my own sanity I’m going to note this season, Home will be all but mandatory to touch back here.) Dean says Sam found her weak spot.

They drive down the road with a blown headlight, Sam using an old map and ruler to locate the coordinates. But it’s realized Sam isn’t going with Dean to blackwater ridge, colorado 600 miles away. His interview was in ten hours. Dean declares, “I’ll take you home.”

There’s banter over meeting up later, and being a good team, but Sam goes inside and calls for Jess. “You home?” He finds a plate full of cookies with a note “missed you, love you” and relaxes in bed with the distant sound of a running shower.

And of course.

And so it began.

SYNCHRONIC STUDY: IN-EPISODE PARALLELS

In a first episode, there’s only so much to address. While we may question how much the Woman in White being in White may have been intentional with Jess and Mary, who wore pink (a diachronic full text body note later), in the initial review, it’s worth mentioning for the reasons in part 1 I’ve decided to air towards white in the final text product. Resultingly, the tie between Constance->Mary->Jess seems tangible. But it isn’t really so simple.

“Home.” Home is a huge keyword.

"I can never go home."  within the episode unto itself, Sam is struggling to well, get back home. And frankly, returning home is the key of it. (hears distant uppity Wincest stans) The difference here is, this isn't a direct parallel, of course, as much as a general ambient mood that will haunt is forward through the show, even if current viewers just watching episode 1 don't recognize it yet. Sam going home kills Jess, essentially; or at least witnesses her death. At the same time, Sam fears returning to the hunter life, or more doesn't think he can because John told him not to come back. But now that Jess is dead, well, Sam can never go home to the life he was building. He has no choice but TO go back to the other home--the hunter life. Even if he’s certain it’s not what Mary would have wanted for them.

DIACHRONIC STUDY: IN-SEASON PARALLELS, LOOKING FORWARD

There’s no way I’ll have them all in mind, these are just what are flagging me along the way.

1.09 Home As the “Home” rewatch is not that far away, I’m going to save this as a placeholder with general notes about “Mary apologizing to Sam,” even if frankly, she should have to Dean too. But even if, at the time, the exact details of the deal may or may not have been established or hashed out by the authors--we’re not picking at arguing if the authors intended it or not here. Here, Mary apologizes for her deal. Here, Mary apologizes--for drowning her children. For magnetizing this poltergeist to this place that she demands let her sons go, where she forces the spook to let go of Sam. She couldn’t really go home in the truest sense until that passed. (I’ll have deeper chain-link connections on this looking-forward once actually at the episode.

DIACHRONIC STUDY: IN-ERA PARALLELS, LOOKING FORWARD

They’re here, but not pinging me at 1 AM beyond vagueblogging about Lucifer showing up as Jess to haunt Sam and the inevitable time travel episodes about Mary, so placeholder for later updates.

DIACHRONIC STUDY: BEYOND-ERA PARALLELS, LOOKING FORWARD

Obviously compare to above-dropped screenshots.

11.04: Mistakes were made.

Listen, Dean’s grimace seat has been in discussion lately, don’t blame me for thinking of Joseph’s mistakes right after the season as Dean-mirror Pastor Joseph. Funny how Sam’s get shown and Dean’s don’t.

11.23/12.01: Mary’s return in the (white or pink, I’m rolling with white as-above) gown, and all extending details.

12.22: Mary's dreamspace.

12.23: Dean, Castiel's death, Sam removing Dean

15.01: Woman In White, We've got work to do

I feel like the Woman in White is the most interesting of these that hasn’t been as talked to death as, say, the 12.23 elements with the Destiel parallel. After all, the Woman in White largely focused on Sam. It was his fear of home. It was him being faithful to Jess (and being unfaithful can be more than sex, really; after all, he made a promise to come back.) But in season 15, it’s Dean that the ghost of the jilted lover approaches, shortly after Dean nearly killed Jack in his pain. Was Dean the weeping woman? Or was Castiel? Who held the animosity in the back seat?

Or is this a shared path? As Dean puts the Equalizer away under the Cigar Box, he has his own haunting issues in the mirror.

Those will be addressed more deeply when we get to that episode in like half a year. But for now, I’m just putting a pin in it. With a side scribble of “Cas got his Secrets/Mary, Sam got his serial killer and clowns and Dean got... the woman in white with Belphegor.”

15.02: Road Closed

15.03: If one insists Mary and Jess’ dress are pink, Rowena’s dress upon wedding and unbirthing to death (and queendom)

15.04: I still think about Jess (shortly before Eileen’s return.)

15.13: If one insists Mary and Jess’ dress are pink, atop the eventually-addressed meaning of lighting (death and transformation) vs the Empress symbolism (fertility, rebirth), Castiel in pink light.

15.15: If one insists Mary and Jess’ dress are pink. Amara’s trenchcoat.

15.20: Beyond the obvious quotes, and the (IMO failed) attempt at nostalgia, there’s honestly very little callback to the original episode. 

That’s it on first glance, I’m sure more will rattle out as we go forward. Well, mostly. Keys to the Legacy from Mint Condition is flagging me alongside control mechanisms like Castiel losing control of his vessel. But those are thoughts to put pins in for now and develop later.

COMBAT COUNTER:

DEAN VICTORIES: 1 (sam vs Dean)

MARKSMANSHIP COUNTER:

DEAN SHOTS: 12 shots, 12 hits.

(hits for any individual will be considered accurate even if targets teleport/flicker out as long as it should have hit the body)

The mythology pasted all around John’s Room is worth a second trip, but off the top of my head I see the Bell Witch and Asmodeus from the Lesser Key of Solomon (near the motel door).

I’ll reblog later to add commentary on that.

[jawritter]

Promised

Chapter 10 (Final)

**Series Warnings!! ** ABO dynamics! Smut, unprotected smut, knotting, claiming, mating, heat, rut, language, overly protective Jensen, age gap! 19-year-old reader, 41-year-old Jensen, virgin reader, loss of virginity, sort of an arranged marriage, hint at possible mob type settings.

Story Description:

In a world where your presentation can be a blessing or a curse, a newly presented Omega will come face to face with the harsh reality of Alphas, Omegas, and pack alliances that are expected to be upheld with the union of your two families…

A/N: Pt.9!!! Please don’t copy my stuff! Feedback is welcomed! If you want to be added to the series tag list, or just my tag list in general let me know! Cross-posted on Wattpad! Hope you enjoy it!! This is my first ABO series so be nice lmao!

Pairing: Jensen x read, Gen x Jensen

Word Count: 4444

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*******MASTERLIST*******

Your POV:

The first thing you remember is an incessant beeping somewhere off in the background. Pulling you from your peaceful sleep. You wanted to find it and shut it off, but you couldn’t make your body function like you want to. Your limbs and things are just too heavy, no matter how much you wanted to move you couldn’t do it. 

A high pitched whine coming from somewhere close to you made you wake up even further…. Jensen…. 

That’s when you felt his body pressed against yours in the tight space of the hospital bed. Caging you in. Holding you just as tight as he could. He scent surrounding you, even past the burn of the bleach, clean, chlorine smell that seemed to soak through everything. 

You could feel him nuzzling into the bend of your neck. Whining a little more.

“Jay gives her some time,” Gen’s voice drifted to your ears from somewhere in the room. You felt drugged like it was all a bad dream. 

You couldn’t make your body move. Your mind felt clouded like you had been given a heavy dose of morphine, and it was holding you down, not allowing you to move. 

“I want her to wake up, I want to get her home.” Jensen’s voice came right in your ear. You could literally feel him wrapping around you tighter. Still nuzzling against you. His scent was strong. Too strong. 

“The doctor said physically she’s fine, just needs to sleep off the sedative that they drugged her with, as soon as she wakes up you guys go home.” 

Her words confused you. What did she mean? Why were you given a sedative? Then it all came flooding back to you in a wave. 

You are looking into the mirror in the bathroom. A stinging pain. The feeling of being carried around in the back of the car. The feeling of being lifted upstairs. A strange Alpha’s scent engulfed you as he carried you to a cold, dark, room. Your body laying on a cold dark ground. Your eyes not wanting to open. Even though you desperately wanted them to. The utter feeling of fear and being alone. Wanting to call out for your Alpha, but your voice just wouldn’t work.

Then came the banging sound and the door flew open. Jensen’s scent filled your senses before everything went to black and the drug pulled you completely under. 

You didn’t know what exactly had happened, but you did know that your father was behind it. He was angry that his place had been demoted amongst the pack, and you knew he wasn’t going to let that go lightly away. Like it was something that never was. 

Another high pitched whine from Jensen brought you back to the present.

“Come on sweetheart, wake up from me,” His voice was low and tight with stress, you hated the sound of it. You wanted to pull him as tight to you as you could. Letting him know that you were okay, that he was going to be okay. That everything was going to be fine. 

Willing yourself with more strength than you ever thought it would take you forced your hand to move, you reach up and grab his arm. 

Jensen jumped like he’d been shot. His shot to the side of your face hands, cupping it gently and pushing the hair back away from your eyes. You could feel Gen move closer to the bed. Where was Jared if Gen was here?

You force your eyes open and was met with the worried gaze of your Alpha. Red surrounded his beautiful green eyes. He looked like he’d spent the night crying instead of sleeping. His breath coming in short burst as he examined your face, looking for a sign that you were really back with him. 

“Y/N? Baby, are you with me?” his voice was almost a whisper. His eyes never leave you as he cradles you to him. 

Smiling at him as best as you could. Your limbs loosen up the more you lay there staring at Jensen. Reaching up you placed your hand on the side of his face. He leaned into your touch immediately. 

“Hi,” was all you could get out before his lips were on yours, kissing you deeply, making you forget momentarily that not only were you lying in a hospital bed, and that you also had company until Gen cleared her throat. Which made you both look up at her. Jensen mumbling something that sounded like ‘sorry’ before burying his head in your neck. Trying to literally drown himself in your scent. 

“Good thing you woke up. I think Jensen was going to start pulling his own hair out pretty soon,” she said with a giggle. 

Jensen looked up at her and stuck his tongue out at her. You could already feel him relaxing more and more as you seemed to become more and more awake.

“Where's Jared?” you asked, looking around the room not seeing the overly tall Alpha. Not like hiding would be an easy task for him, so you assumed Jensen and Gen were alone waiting on you to wake up.

“Uhh… well… uhh. Sweety, you got a rutting Alpha in here with you. Jared thought it might be best if I came in his place.” 

Your attention snapped up to Jensen, who looked away sheepishly. Avoiding your gaze like he was embarrassed. 

“Sorry Gen,” he mumbled, hiding his face again.

“It’s okay Jay, you're actually being pretty well behaved for as much stress as you were in, plus being in rut. I’ll go get the nurse, and she can start getting the discharge papers ready, that way you guys can get home and get settled.”

“Thanks, Gen,” you said, trying to sit up, but Jensen was still basically caged around you protectively. 

You knew it would do no good to fight it. So you reached up and just started running your fingers through hair, not saying anything, just enjoying the moment with his arms wrapped around you, because for a moment last night, you weren’t sure you would ever get to feel that again.

You waited until Gen closed the door before you finally turned the best you could in his arms to face him fully, burying your face as deep into his neck as you possibly could, and breathing everything that was him in deeply.

After what seemed like forever you finally had to ask the questions that were burning deep down inside of you.

“Where are we now?” you asked, choosing your words wisely because as soon as they started to come out of your mouth he tensed around you.

“We’re back in Austin,” he said, not saying any more than that. 

That made more sense. Why else would Gen be up here with him? You highly doubted that she would have driven to Dallas just because of what happened to you. She had pups and a mate of her own she had to take care of.

“What happened?” You asked him, wrapping your arms tighter around his neck, and trying to pull yourself impossibly closer to him. Like if he was close enough, no matter what he was about to say next wouldn’t be so bad or so scary because he was there, and he had you.

“Your father had one of his little henchmen that was a bodyguard at some point, drug you when you went to the bathroom, they left the ceremony and tried to hide you from me, as punishment for not accepting the role as pack leader. They were trying to keep you away from me.” 

His voice was thick and tight. You can tell he didn’t like talking about what had happened, but the details to you were a little blurry and you just had to know. 

Your insides were shaking, you felt like your heart was going to explode. Your father, the man that you trusted all of your life, had set out to hurt you, just because he lost his role as pack Alpha? What happened to ‘whatever happens we’ll figure it out’ that he said the night you were introduced to Jensen for the first time? 

If you had not presented would he have killed you? That thought made you literally began to shake. Fear of what could have happened had Jensen not found you gripping you deeply.

“How did you find me?” you asked him. Jensen was busy licking lightly at your claiming mark, trying the best he could to send you some sort of comfort. 

“Your mating collar was fitted with a GPS locator, thank God. It leads us to where you were,” he answered shortly.

He didn’t like talking about this at all. You could literally feel the anxiety rolling off of him in waves now. 

“My father? What did you do to him?” you asked him, remembering what he promised you before either of you left for Dallas before you left for the ceremony. 

“He’s no longer going to be a problem,” Jensen said, his voice tense. 

Looking up at him, you didn't really know how to feel or what to think at that statement. Jensen ran his hand through your hair, searching your face like he was afraid if he blinked you would disappear. 

“Is he?... Did you?...” 

“No… but I wanted to… instead, the pack leaders decided to have him sent to a federal penitentiary. He won't see the light of day again according to my father. I promise you Omega he will never be able to get near you ever again.”

You nodded your head. Even though you were hurt and angry at what he did, he was still you father, and you didn’t want his death to be on your Alpha’s hands. 

“What about my mom and my sisters?” 

That seemed to pull a smirk on his lips as he stared at you. 

“Well, let's just say her, as well as your Uncle David, seemed very pleased that he would not be returning. The abusive, narcissistic, asshole is thrown in jail for good, your mother got a new Alpha from what I’m told, seeing as your Uncle was unmated, and your sisters are free to go and do whatever pleases them. Either way win, win.” 

That little bit of information shocked you into a blinking state. You had always wondered if there was something going on there. It wasn’t uncommon for polygamist relationships and marriages to form in packs. It wasn’t something that was talked about a lot, and you Uncle David seemed to always be around…

“Well okay then,” you said, still blinking off in the distance. Jensen chuckled lowly next to you for the first time since before you found out that you were having to go to Dallas for that stupid ceremony. 

The door opening made you both look up. Gen was walking over to the small couch a smirk on her small framed face as she strolled over there taking her time. Annoying the fuck out of Jensen on purpose. 

“Gen! I thought you were going to get a nurse so we can bust out of here!!” he practically growled at her. She seemed thoroughly unfazed, shrugging before answering him.  

“Well apparently the charge nurse is an Alpha, and he doesn't come in here with another rutting Alpha who is way overprotective right now. He said he would send another nurse in here in a few minutes to have you guys sign the release papers.” 

She was practically giggling now.

Looking at Jensen your eyes narrow. Wondering why even though he was in the beginning stages of his rut everyone was scared of him. 

“What did you do to scare everyone?” you asked him. 

Jensen looked away like a little kid with his hand caught in the cookie jar. 

“Well… When we got here they wanted to put one of those hospital things on you, you know those gown things that are open all the way in the back…” 

Gen was practically in hysterical laughter on the couch now… Finished the sentence for him. 

“Someone let Mr. Dean Winchester out of his cage, and he tried to bite the aid, that’s how he ended up hovering over you in the bed there.”

Gen was now on the ground practically howling with laughter, slapping his shoulder playfully. 

Jensen threw you a defensive look. Practically growling at Gen who was recovering from a bout of hysterics on the couch. 

“It was instinct I couldn’t help it! My Omega was injured, almost ripped away from me, I was on high alert and I couldn’t turn it off. When the dumb ass tried to take her dress off her I snapped! Little douchebag needed to learn his place anyway,” he mumbled the last part, making you giggle against him as hysterically as Gen. 

you wished you had seen that little display of protective, Alpha Jensen. 

Looking down you saw that you were indeed in the hospital gown and looked up at him confused…

“Don’t even look at me,” he said, causing the whole room to fall with laughter. 

It felt like an eternity before they got the nurses to come back in there with the paperwork needed to release you. Jensen was getting more and more impatient. He was ready to go. Being in rut was making him on edge, plus the fact that every instinct he had was screaming at him to get his Omega home where it’s safe. 

Once he got you in the car he wouldn’t let you sit in your seat. Instead, he told Clif to talk you both home, and crawled into the back of the SUV with you, pulling you into his lap, holding onto you as tight as he possibly could. Like if he let you go, he’d never see you again, and honestly, you couldn’t complain. You wanted nothing more than to have his arms wrapped around you, and get him home, so you could spend some time taking care of your Alpha. 

He’d been doing pretty good waiting on the paperwork, but his scent was getting stronger, and he was starting to get visibly uncomfortable. Shifting around in his seat the whole way home. He kept his face buried in your neck. Not really looking around. You could tell he was more than ready to get out of this car, and even though Clif was a Beta he could tell Jensen was becoming more and more uncomfortable as well. You felt him hit the accelerator. Trying to get you both there as fast as possible. 

As soon as the car pulled in front of the house, Jensen was ripping the door open to the SUV, not even waiting until it really came to a stop. Standing with you still in his arms he carried you to the front door. Looking around like he was half afraid someone would jump out of the shrubs and try to take you from him. 

You had heard of this behavior before with rutting Alpha’s they usually lockdown with their mates or whatever they chose to help them get through it where their scent was the strongest and they felt safe. So it didn’t really surprise you.

What surprised you was yourself. The overwhelming need to get him somewhere alone, to take care of him like he’d taken care of you. You didn’t know if it was the pheromones that were pooling off of him in waves with his scent, or if it was his bond. 

Sitting you down on your feet carefully, Jensen turned and locked the door. Then took your face in his hands, kissing you slowly. You were surprised, By the way his scent was coming off of him you were almost positive he was in the middle of a full-blown rut, and you honestly figured that he would have you pressed against the wall as soon as the door closed, but here he was, taking his time. Stealing your breath from you, and making your knees feel like jelly as his tongue explored your mouth like it was the very first time. 

By the time he pulled away from you, you were both panting.

“Omega, you’ve been through a lot in the last 24 hours. I can go upstairs and handle this myself for now if you need to rest.” 

Shaking your head you reach up and start to slowly unbutton the white dress shirt that he’d had on from the ceremony. Sliding down his shoulders slowly.

“I don’t need to rest Alpha, I feel fine, I just want to take care of you.” 

That was all the permission he needed to scoop you up and all but jog towards the bedroom with you wrapped in his arms. His mouth attacked your jawline and neck as he went. 

Laying you on the bed carefully he crawled his way over you. His thick thighs straddling your hips. His prominent bulge pressing against his slacks. Straining against the fabric that was doing all it could to hold him back.

Reaching down he ripped your shirt from you in one swift pull. Buttons flying across the room, Landing over you with his hands on either side of your head he purred lowly and nipped at your claiming mark. Slick already pooling in your underwear, your body more than ready to take whatever he had to give you. His scent was so strong it was making your brain feel fuzzy.

“That was Gen’s shirt you know.,” you tell him as he devours your neck like a starving man that was just given his last meal, his beard ticking against your overly sensitive skin, causing bumps to rise all over you, your body arching into his touch on its own as his and roamed down your side, making quick work of the leggings that you were wearing, leaving you in just a sports bra and panties. 

Chuckling lowly he didn’t seem phased. “I’ll buy her a new one,” he mumbled and quickly continued his work. Pulling the sports bra over your head and tearing your panties clean off your body. Growling and purring as he kissed from your neck all the way down the valley of cleavage between your beast. 

Moving over each of your stiff nipples with his overly warm tongue. Giving each of them the same amount of attention. Causing you to shiver underneath him. A shock wave rolling through your body with each lick of his warm tongue. His breath fanning over your overly heated skin as he made his way down your stomach. Hovering over your dripping entrance. Licking his lips as his eyes bore into yours, lust blown, only a small hue of green visible around his dilated pupils. 

“Alpha?” The words came out of you in a needy whine that you didn’t expect. 

He gave you a wicked grin that made a shock wave of arousal flood through you, slick slipping down your thighs in anticipation of what he was about to do to you.

“I’m going to ruin you, sweetheart,” he said with a smirk, a light flickering somewhere in his eyes that made your heart flutter. 

He then started placing little butterfly kisses over your soaking folds, giving little kitten licks to your throbbing clit. Making your whole body feel like it was on fire, eating away at your very soul, until all that was left was him, all that mattered was him. 

His mouth now devouring you like he was never going to get to taste you again, moaning against you, sending shock waves of pure bliss through your entire body. Your body arching off the bed and he drove you closer and closer to your release, the coil winding so tight in your stomach that it was almost unbearable. 

Right before he threw you over with just the use of his mouth he slipped three of his thick digits into you, pumping and scissoring them into you. Throwing you over the edge with a soundless scream. Mouth formed in the shape of an oohh, but nothing came out. Your release literally knocking the breath out of you.

Jensen’s lust blown eyes still locked on your face. Lapping up everything you had to offer him. Slowing his administrations until you had come down from you high. Crawling back up your body, leaving little kisses and nips all the way up to your lips. Kissing you gently. You were shocked at how well he was holding himself together.

You were told that normally rutting Alpha’s were rough, fast, and primal. Jensen seemed to be none of that.

Pulling away he laid his head down on your shoulder taking a deep breath. Stealing himself against the Alpha inside him. He was struggling, wanting to hold on to the last of his humanity as long as he could. 

“Present Omega,” he said, kissing your lips again before getting up and removing his pants and boxer while you got into the position he requested of you. 

Looking over your shoulder you watched as he crawled back onto the bed. Pumping his thick length as he got into position behind you. Running his free hand over the round of your hips, a low growl forming in his chest. 

“So pretty, so responsive to me Omega,” he said, his voice deepening. 

Lining his thick dripping cock up with your dripping slit he swiftly bottomed out in one smooth thrust, causing you both to groan at the connections. Stilling himself for a moment, giving you a minute to adjust. 

“So tight sweetheart, warm,” he purred in your ear, leaning over your body, his body vibrating with restraint he was using to remain still.

“Move Alpha, I need you to move, “ you beg him, he growls against you, nipping at your ear before pulling out almost all the way, then sinking back in slowly. Trying to hold the last of his humanity. Continuing this slow deep thrust. Hitting that spot way deep down inside of you before the tip bumped against your cervix. 

Moans falling from both of your lips. 

“Alpha! Please faster!” you begged him, feeling him holding back and wanting him more than anything to just let go and take you like he wants to.

With a primal growl leaving his lips he picked up his pace. Snapping his hips into you at a punishing speed. Literally fucking you flat into the mattress. One hand holding on to your hips with a bruising grip, the other reaching around and grabbing your throat, not tight enough to hurt you, or even cut off your air supply, but the simple action seemed to thrill you more than you expected. 

A fresh wave of slick running down your thighs as he fucked into you. The coil winding again in your belly, tight and ready to snap. 

Pulling your body upright until your back was flush against his chest. Never breaking his brutal pace, the hand that was on your hip slipping around in front of you to play with your clit in harsh circles while he fucked you. Growls and groans falling from his lips.

“Gonna fill you up sweetheart, knot you, maybe even fuck a pup in you. You want that Omega?” 

You nodded your head furiously. The thought of him filling you more than you could take, almost sending you over the edge. 

“Use your words, pretty girl, let daddy know what you want,” he said, licking at your claiming mark. A shutter ripping through your body

“Please Alpha. Please fill me up,” you said in a whimper. Jensen purred against you as his knot started to swell catching in your entrance with each thrust. 

“Come for me, baby,” he said, and as a command, your Omega fell apart in his arms. Throwing you over the edge in an orgasm strong enough to nearly knock you unconscious. Jensen continued to pound you through your orgasm. Three trusts after you came down from you high he gives one more harsh shove, pushing his knot deep inside of you, Locking you to together as he spills all he has in you. 

Carefully as he could he laid the two of you down, pulling you close to him as possible. His body still jerking at random as he continued to spill deep inside of you, floating your belly with his cum, feeling you up completely. When his body finally still you turned around to find him looking at you, purring he put his hand on the side of your face.

A movement that you loved, the warmth of his hand lying so gently on the side of your face, in a move so soft and so intimate that you can’t even really describe the way it makes your heart swell every time he does it.

“I love you Y/N, I don’t think I ever told you that…. And I almost lost the opportunity to do it…”

Laying your head back against him as best you could, his arms wrapping tight around you. 

“I love you to Jensen,” you said, your voice barely above a whisper. Finally letting the walls you’d built up around you all of your life come down at that moment. Finally letting him in. Something you almost lost the opportunity to do, and one thing you decided laying in that hospital bed today, was that you weren’t going to waste any more time 

The past doesn’t matter, what happened to you when you were younger, that doesn’t matter. It’s past. The past is something you can’t live in. You can’t let it define you and rule you, when you do you will miss out on too much. That you learned the hard way, and you weren’t soon going to forget it.

“I’m sorry I failed you, that should have never happened to you Omega, I’ll never stop trying to make it up to you,” Jensen whispered in your ear, nuzzling his face into your hair, scenting you. 

Reaching around linking your fingers with his laying over your stomach. Squeezing his hand as tight as you could. 

“You didn’t fail me Alpha, you promised to protect me, and you did, you found me and brought me home, if it wasn’t for you, he probably would have killed me. You're my rescue story, you pulled me out of a life that probably would have ended very early if I hadn’t presented, you saved me in more ways than one, even from myself.”

Leaning your head back you brush your lips over his gently. Jensen kissed you back purring deep down in his chest. Like a big oversized adorable teddy bear. 

“I’m not going anywhere Alpha, you're stuck with me for life.” You whisper against his lips. Feeling the bond between you grows deeper and deeper. Locking your souls together on a different level. One so deep you didn’t know it even existed. 

“Promised?” he asks his green eyes searching yours, filled with more love and devotions than you’d ever known in your life. 

“Promised…”

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[colorsicantsee]

Seblaine- Present Day (June/Year1)

Para: All's Well That Ends Well To End Up With You

Rating: PG-13..

Pairing: Seblaine.

Sebastian: @colorsicantsee

Blaine: @twoblueheartslocked

Time: Year One: Present Day- June. About a month after- I Don’t Wanna End It When We’re Only Just Beginning; Part ONE and Part TWO.

Location: Brooklyn, New York

Info:  Sebastian knows how lonely Blaine can get when he’s gone so he surprises him with a trip to the Animal Shelter. Blaine makes a new friend and starts to think he might not be giving enough of himself to his wonderful person.

Warnings: This particular para includes- Brief mentions of sexual situations and mentions of past abuse. This rp as a whole mentions past abuse(Physical, mental and sexual), possible unwanted sexual situations, anxiety, depression, negative body image, drug use, alcohol use, cussing, death(parents).

Extra Warnings: (This RP is not Kurt Hummel friendly. You’ve all been warned.)

Title taken from-Taylor Swift- Lover

NOTES: Some canon events remain in place while others have been changed. Some things may even be out of order. You can consider this sort of canon divergent AU. A few changes are that Blaine’s parents are different from the show (His mother is Filipina), he didn’t cheat on Kurt or date Dave and Sebastian is younger than Blaine. Feel free to send a message if you have any questions!

Under Cut for length.  As usual the para’s are mostly unedited.

 Sebastian’s POV:

Things had been okay. Sebastian was getting his school work done and hadn’t touched alcohol in months. Blaine was going to work and therapy sessions regularly. The two of them had been comfortable and open with each other and things were just...calm. Calm was a feeling that Seb hadn’t known for a long time. Even when he was a teenager and spent his days hanging off of Blaine’s words and soft touches, his emotions  felt so dizzy and intense. Calm was nice, it was welcome and not something he had known he craved for years. 

Though Seb felt some sort of small slice of peace, he wondered if B felt the same way. Of course he knew that his boyfriend was happy and satisfied with their relationship and the way things were going. He knew that Blaine was, to be cliché, fighting an uphill battle mentally. The other man had been through a lot in his young life and Sebastian accepted that. He understood that some things took time to fix and it wasn’t his sole responsibility to stitch up B’s sadness. That didn’t mean he couldn’t help, couldn’t hand the other man the tools. 

Sebastian wasn’t sure where the idea had come from. Maybe he had heard Sarah McLachlan croon from an elevator speaker, maybe it was the grey, grumpy cat that hung around the chip aisle at his local bodega. But, it had popped in Seb’s head that maybe Blaine might benefit from a pet. He had personally never had one, but he had always wanted a dog. He didn’t think he could ever take care of anything but he knew that B would be a natural. 

Seb picked up the phone and shot the other man a quick text. He had made an appointment at the animal shelter nearest Blaine’s place; This Saturday I have a surprise for you. 

The day arrived and Sebastian wouldn’t give in to any of Blaine’s questions or distracting bribery techniques. 

“You’ll see when we get there.” 

They had arrived at the large brick building and he watched his boyfriend’s face as he figured out where they were. 

“Before you say anything, I’m paying all of the fees. I’ll take care of the pet rent, too. I also wanna get everything else you need for you new pet”

 Blaine’s POV:

Blaine felt good. If someone had told him a month ago that he’d feel this good after having one of his worst, irrational panic attacks he’d have mirthlessly laughed in their face. Yet here he was, feeling the best he’d felt in a long time. It was almost alarming. A big part of him was so scared that it was all going to go to shit at any second now, that he’d fall apart and panic over nothing once more and he’d have to beg Seb to help him calm down with reassurances that he already had to begin with. He hated those thoughts, hated that a big part of him still couldn't grasp that he deserved this happiness and that nothing was going to take it away. 

On the other hand there was another part of him that knew he deserved it, knew that things were finally falling into place for him and that he was finally living the kind of life he thought he’d be living when he was a teen. Sure, he still hadn’t ventured out to Sebastian’s apartment in Manhattan yet and a few of his classes were still online, and he was still overworking himself to make up for his guilt over taking Cooper’s money afraid that his big brother might think he was slacking off or didn’t appreciate the loan- even though once he turned twenty-five his parents trust would come through and he’d be okay. Still, he was happy and he wanted to cling to the good feelings and hold them close to his chest in case he ever forgot or to remind him when he had bad days.

He’d been taking his medicine as he should. And even though there was nothing wrong with it he had stopped drinking wine with his meals. He wanted to encourage Sebastian and he’d noticed a difference in how he felt when he woke up in the morning. No more dull headaches or shame over what he might have said while tipsy. He’d been meeting up with his friends more- Sam and David were both surprised when he’d reach out to them to invite them to lunch or even just video games in his apartment. He hadn’t realized how much he was actually neglecting them and it took feeling better to see his errors.

He’d even been trying to call Cooper regularly though his brother was always suspicious when he did so. And of course he’d been spending time with Sebastian. It was like the two of them had just fallen into place with each other, like they just fit and should have always been this way. And as cheesy as it sounded, Blaine was no stranger to cheesy, they just felt meant to be. And that made Blaine feel all the more happy. 

His happiness was edged with nerves and excitement as he sat in Sebastian’s passenger seat and his boyfriend drove them to his surprise. Seb rarely drove, but he had picked him up and had been mum about what they might be doing. Blaine had even pressed a playful kiss to Seb’s favorite spot in his neck to try and get an answer, but all that did was get a wicked grin and a promise for maybe later.  Blaine settled for holding Seb’s hand and trying not to let his brain overwork itself with what it might be. As they pulled up to a big red bricked building with the worlds Animal Rescue in big white letters across the side, Blaine’s heart did a flip as well as his stomach. He turned to look at Seb who had prepared an argument.

“Seb, that’s too much money! I can’t take that!” But once Seb had his mind made up there really was no changing it. He took a deep breath and let his boyfriend lead him into the building, the sounds of dogs barking echoing off the walls and into his ears. Blaine had always wanted a pet growing up, he’d had a puppy when he was very young, but his father proved to be allergic and he was such a busy kid he found it hard to be there for his canine friend. He still remembered his sniffles as his mom and him dove away after dropping him off at his new home. Sure, Blaine was still just as busy, but he had his own space now, and the thought of having something to come home to instead of an empty, lonely apartment sounded wonderful. Sebastian couldn’t just live there.

He was nervous as the person whose name tag read Matthew showed them around and explained how adoption worked. And when they asked Blaine if he’d like to see the dogs or cats first Blaine surprised himself by asking for the cats.

“I’d like to see the cats, if that’s alright?” Matthew smiled and led the two of them into a room where about a dozen cats were free to roam. It was a playroom of sorts, set up to look like trees and leaves. He’d never really seen a place like this before, most of the cats were sad looking and locked up in cages. He found out soon enough that all of the cats in here were kittens and it was better to let them roam and play together. Blaine sat down in one of the chairs so as not to scare them away but  was a little overwhelmed by all the darting fluff and every time he’d settle on one, they’d run away in a blur of white or grey or orange and flip themselves onto one of their playmates. He was just about to ask to see the adult cats when he felt tiny paws on cheek. He looked up and was met with a pair of too large orange eyes in the tiniest black furred body. The little thing was batting at his cheek as if saying- hey, hey I’m here, look at me! It was so small and tucked into one of the little fake leaves that stuck out from the wall, that Blaine had completely missed it at first glance.

“Hey there little one.” Blaine said softly, and reached out to gently pull it into his arms. The kitten instantly stuck his face into Blaine’s and nuzzled against him before batting at one of his curls. Matthew spoke up- “That’s Soot, she’s about six months old, yes, I know she looks so much younger. But, she was born here.  She’s been adopted twice and both times she was brought back. It’s a shame. The first person said it was because her child had accidentally stepped on her because she was too small, and the second one said that his girlfriend didn’t want a black cat because they were “bad luck” and feared if she got out she’d be sacrificed or something. She’s naturally tiny and no one seems to want her. If you ask me they just weren't the right fit for her, and their loss because Soot is the sweetest kitten here. And I think she likes you.”

No one wants her? Blaine’s heart squeezed at the thought of someone hurting this sweet little thing and he had to blink back a swell of emotion as she lifted her head and stuck her nose against his lips as if to kiss him! Her head bobbing like she was drunk. She was probably just smelling him but it almost broke his heart in two and he knew that he wouldn't be leaving without her. She had already snuggled into the crook of his arm and was purring so softly, the vibrations tickling Blaine’s arm. The sensation instantly calmed him. He was half in love already. And even though he was worried about taking Seb’s money he looked up at his boyfriend pleadingly, the words getting stuck in his throat, his eyes bright. His voice was shaky and his emotional display would have embarrassed him  if he were really thinking about it, but all he could think about was her cold little paws pressed against his arm, her tiny claws kneading him slightly.

“I-I do. I mean, I want her. Please, Seb?”

Sebastian’s POV:

Seb had had a feeling that Blaine was going to visit the room where the cats and kittens were kept. From what he understood, cats were pretty low maintenance and despite what people might say, could form loyal bonds with their owners. Plus, B wouldn’t have to take a cat down the many flights of stairs to go outside at random hours of the day. A cat could watch itself while he worked and went to school and even if he ever spent the night at Sebastian’s. 

Blaine’s eyes lit up when they walked into the room covered in acrobatic leaves and man made branches for the cats to climb and lounge on. Sebastian crouched on the floor next to where his boyfriend sat and observed the tiny creatures wrestle and bathe themselves. The older cats that were awake in the cages meowed and pressed their wet noses against the bars trying to get Matthew’s attention. They were probably looking for some new food, he thought to himself.

He hadn’t even caught the moment that the little black ball of fur ended up in his boyfriend’s arms. It seemed as if the two of them had known each other for years, the little thing was emitting little trills of pleasure as it worked its claws into his sleeve. B’s eyes were glossy when the attendant mentioned that Soot had been returned a few times. Sebastian bit his lip and knew that this was the one. 

“Of course. This is the whole reason we came.” He smiled at his boyfriend and reached over so the kitten could sniff his fingers.  Sebastian looked up at Matthew, “Where do we fill out the papers and pay the fees? She’s ours.”

Soot was loaded into a cardboard box with little holes poked in the side. She didn’t like it and kept poking her black nose through and basically screaming at them to let her out. Blaine filled out all of the paper work with giddy energy and Sebastian handed over his card for them to swipe. He hadn’t been worried about how much it would be but she was surprisingly cheap since she had been brought back a couple times. 

Sebastian wrapped an arm around Blaine as he clutched the noisy box in his arms. He sat in the passenger seat smiling as he gently held onto his new pet’s carrier. They drove around for a few minutes before they found a pet store. 

“Don’t be shy in here. There’s no limit.” 

Blaine blushed and began to protest.

“You need litter, a cat box. Food, she obviously needs some toys, too. Don’t forget about a water dish.”

Blaine’s POV:

Blaine’s heart fluttered against his ribcage, a feeling he couldn’t quite place fell over him when he heard Sebastian say ‘She’s ours’. She was theirs now. They had done something big together. He let out a little laugh and fought the urge to pull Seb into a thank you kiss right in front of Matthew. He nodded, barely believing that he was actually going to get to take a living creature home with him and as he signed the paperwork and Sebastian paid he felt even happier than he had when the day started and that was saying something considering he didn’t think he could feel any happier. Instead of something terrible throwing a wrench into his joy he’d been gifted the most adorable thing. 

Blaine settled back against Sebastian’s comforting arm as his boyfriend drove away so they could shop for her. She sat on his lap in her little cardboard crate, screaming for attention and slipping her tiny little paw out through the holes before shoving her nose through it. She did this over and over again.  Blaine pet her nose and her paws to calm her, but didn’t let her out for fear that she’d get lost in the car. He was so excited, he couldn’t wait to share his apartment with her. Wondered if she’d like his music, or if she would sit in the window and stalk birds, wondered if she’d cuddle up on his pillow as he slept. He realized then that the thought of Sebastian having to go home and leave him alone for the night later on wasn’t as hard to stomach as it had been the day before. Of course he hated that part. When Seb couldn’t stay because of early classes or whatnot. He wanted his boyfriend there all the time, he felt safer and more whole, had gotten used to letting Seb’s arms be around him, letting his hands touch him without tensing up and he loved it, but maybe, just maybe, with Soot in the picture he wouldn’t stay up too late wishing he wasn’t alone. Maybe she’d help take the edge off his nighttime loneliness away.

The store welcomed animals so he was able to put her little crate into the cart Seb had gotten for him and he was thankful, couldn’t stand the thought of leaving her out in the car. He was still nervous about the cost, animals were not cheap and he was on his own now, Cooper’s year of “free” rent was pretty much up and almost all of his extra money went into his apartment and food. He knew he was lucky, most college kids had to stay in dorms or be extremely well off to make it like this. But when Cooper had helped get him out of his horrible situation with Kurt, a dorm wasn’t an option. They both knew Blaine couldn’t handle all of those people around him, couldn’t handle a stranger in his room. His severe anxiety wouldn’t let him. Maybe luck wasn’t the right word actually considering, but either way, Blaine got to live alone and that money added up. He hadn't gotten a pet in the first place despite desperately wanting company that couldn’t hurt him over the last year and a half because he couldn’t afford it. It was like Seb had read his mind, finding thoughts that Blaine himself didn’t really think of often. 

“Seb, this is all going to add up. Are you sure?” Seb was sure and Blaine had to really look at him before he let himself put anything in the cart. He meant what he said. He’d help. And Blaine would find a way to come up with vet money so he could get her fixed, he’d find a way. Even though he had a feeling Sebastian would try and help with that too. Over the next half hour he and Seb had managed to get her about twelve new toys ranging from mice to a wand with a fish on the end to a scratching post with a fuzzy heart hanging off of it. She had a giant bag of food meant for kittens under a year old, a food bowl, water dish, litter box,  and a little red collar with a bell so small Blaine was sure he’d never hear it.  The total was too much, and Blaine instantly felt like a bad cat dad because he wouldn’t have been able to afford that if he were doing this on his own. But when he voiced it Seb shook his head and reminded him that this was a present.

On the way back to his apartment Blaine made the appropriate call to inform his landlord that he’d gotten a cat and that he’d bring in the money first thing. He tried not to cringe when he was told the deposit price. It’s a gift, Blaine. Let him do this for you. He made it through the call without much resistance, the landlord seemed hesitant at first, but since they didn’t have a no pet policy she had no choice but to let him do it. The two of them set up the little apartment before letting the little lady out of her crate and Blaine made sure the bathroom door was shut so she couldn’t go hide there. He wished he had a door to his bedroom, but it was so small there weren’t many places she could go. She let him put her new collar on without struggle, pressed her forehead against his cheek and squirmed to be let down. She sniffed around the room, and made her way across the small apartment, poking her nose in everything before settling on her food, took a bite, then a drink and then promptly darted across the living room floor and dived right into the scratching post and busied herself playing with the fuzzy heart hanging off of it. He couldn’t help but laugh from his spot on the couch. They were quiet for a moment as they watched her play.

“I think I’ll keep the name. I mean look at her, she looks like a soot spot against the wood floor. It’s pretty perfect.” He paused, his eyes glued to her little body. She was playing so hard, it was like she hardly noticed she had been taken to a completely new place. She seemed at home, and when Blaine clicked his tongue against his teeth and said her name softly in a high voice, she actually came over to him and rubbed her scent all over his hand and leg, she went and did the same to Sebastian before once again darting and diving. This time at once of the little mice. She flipped onto her back and she rabbit kicked it before doing it all again, her micro bell tinkling as she moved. Guess he could hear it after all.

Blaine was fucking obsessed. 

“God, I can’t believe no one wanted her. “ He finally turned his gaze to Seb and reached out to take his hand, linking their fingers together. He scooted so he was close to him, his hand sliding up to his chin to bring his face down to his before pressing a soft kiss to his lips. He did it again, his own lips slipping into a small, bright smile. 

“Thank you. You have no idea how happy this has made me. I-I didn’t think… well, I didn’t know I needed this. I still feel like it’s too much money… But, I’m gonna accept it, she’s perfect.”

 Sebastian’s POV:

Sebastian helped Blaine unpack all of Soot’s new toys. He helped set up the cat box and insisted on pouring the litter even though he had never done it before. I mean, how hard could it be? A  giant puff of grey dust surprised him and made him cough and flail a little bit. The scene had made Blaine laugh, though and that had made the mess worth it. 

Soot seemed to fall into an easy playful mode immediately. She looked like she had always belonged in the apartment. The two of them watched her, laughing at her ridiculous belly flops and wobbly jumps. 

“I think the name is perfect. She’s like a little smudge.” Sebastian pressed in closer to Blaine’s side. He could not only see his boyfriend’s happiness but he could feel it radiate off of him. Sebastian felt pleased. B now had a little companion to warm the lonely nights he had to be away, to hold on to when he felt upset. 

Blaine never had to come home to an empty apartment again. Seb thought that that sounded great, his own empty apartment felt cold and haunted at times. Not literally, of course (he’d fucking move.) but by the past. The stench of vodka would sweep by him when he felt bored. Sometimes his sheets didn’t feel clean enough, seemed matted with bad nights and past lovers. He was thankful that Blaine didn’t have to experience that, that he could walk into the tinkle of a little jingle bell and the flash of orange eyes looking for their food bowl to be filled. 

Sebastian shook his thoughts away and focused on the kitten again. “I’m glad. You guys are a perfect match.” He pressed into the kiss, he could feel Blaine’s smile against his lips. Sebastian loved that feeling. 

“You’re welcome.” He wanted to insist that the money didn’t matter but didn’t want to come across as braggy. Sebastian found that his careless feelings about spending offended some people. He used to not care, would swipe his card with a smirk and casually mention his big purchases. Seb had grown so fucking annoyed by himself after he started getting cleaned up. He had become better and knew that B spent a lot of time worrying about money. Sebastian found it better to just let that part of the conversation go. “Always glad to help. I wanted to do this.”

“Do you think she’ll tucker herself out soon?”

Blaine’s POV:

“You wanted to make me the happiest man ever? God, you’re so good to me, I really don’ t know that I deserve it.” He smiled up at Seb after their shared kisses, relishing in the simplicity of the moment. He wondered if Sebastian ever thought of getting a pet himself, he wondered how big his apartment was. Sure, it was New York, but as he knew, Seb had money and his parents never taught him to shy away from it. Did his home ever get lonely too? Blaine had never even been there before. Had a hard time imagining himself there, letting himself be touched or kissed there, or undressed and bare. Because it wasn’t a space of comfort that he’d built himself. And spending too much time in Manhattan was difficult for Blaine to think about, sure, he knew how to avoid Kurt, knew his spots, knew Rachel’s spots. He’d known how to avoid Seb for three years before this too. But there were so many memories attached to the place, bad ones. Spots where Kurt would drag him and then humiliate him. So many places to avoid.  It was also the place where you and Seb reconnected, he reminded himself. You managed to go to that Warbler party, you could totally go to his apartment. 

God, everything with them really had happened just so fast. Both times they’d been together and Blaine knew, without a shadow of doubt that Sebastian was the only person he’d ever want to touch him again.  He still tensed up sometimes, still loved that Seb showed his hands before reaching for him even though they’d done so much together, it helped him. He still got nervous before intimate moments. They’d had sex a couple more times since he’d panicked and he loved every minute together. He trusted Sebastian and only Sebastian with his body and even more, his mind. He knew that he always had trusted him and maybe that meant that he could trust himself to be intimate in a new place. Sebastian’s  space. The man had just given Blaine an incredible gift that he otherwise couldn’t afford and had uprooted himself to spend all of his free time over here, in a shitty small Brooklyn apartment in a shitty neighborhood. Blaine felt he needed to give him more. Why was the thought so hard?

He looked over at the kitten, Soot was still hopping around, her little paws making the daintiest sounds on his scuffed wood floors as she jumped and landed on her feet. Little Soot showed no sign of stopping, but then again, from what he knew about cats and the countless animal videos he’d watched over the years to cheer himself up the creatures seemed to play hard and then promptly pass out like a loaf of bread.

“I don’t know, she’s going pretty hard though.” He reached out and grabbed the stick with the fish on the end and she instantly started to chase it. She grew bored when Blaine wasn’t fast enough on wiggling the string and pounced over to a new mouse, and as the two of them laughed at her, she visibly started to slow and then she  sat down on her tummy, hiding the mouse under her little body and then she tucked her paws under her chest like they were cold, then her eyes started to close and she was purring loudly as she fell asleep, her head pressed into the scratching post mat.

“Well, I guess there’s your answer… I mean, could you imagine falling asleep that fast? And we’ll never be that fucking comfortable.” Blaine chuckled, looking back up at Seb in amazement, his smile so big his cheeks kind of hurt from the happiness.

And there it was- the tiniest bit of clean litter dust clinging to Sebastian’s cheek and it reminded Blaine of the snowflake that had clung to Seb’s cheek that nerve wracking, miserably bittersweet New Year’s Eve night on a Manhattan rooftop, six short months ago. The night that had set this whole relationship back into motion. The night that un-paused their story and dusted off their beautiful and imperfectly perfect  book cover and set them back on their path. He sometimes wondered what would have happened if he didn’t accept, how bad off would he be now? He took a deep breath and reached out to brush his thumb over the spot. His skin tingling as he brushed it away. It wasn’t as pretty as a snowflake, but the way it had gotten there had made him laugh and he wanted to hold onto this moment just as close as the snowflake moment. That night could have ended them in further disaster, but Blaine had taken a chance because Seb had done the same and had reached out. 

They had come so far since that night and yet it felt like they’d always been here. The four years they spent apart were the worst ones of Blaine’s life, and while it wasn’t just because they were apart, there were many factors, but not being together was a big one. A mistake that had cost them greatly. As he leaned against his boyfriend now, in this moment, he knew that he’d made the right choice in accepting Seb’s invitation after that night. He bit his bottom lip, his smile taking him out of his what- could- have- happened memories and putting him back in the now because Seb was here and there present day choice had gotten them this far. The ‘what ifs’ didn’t matter anymore.

“You had cat litter stuck to your cheek.” He tried to laugh but his voice came out a bit breathy. “I know you can’t stay tonight, and I’m okay with that, I’ll have great company and it’ll feel a little better here. But, you don’ t have to leave just yet do you?” He felt selfish even asking, he knew Seb had a lot of studying to do and that he studied better in his own place without distraction. “I mean, just for a few more hours? We don’t have to do anything big. We could just hang out? I can make us dinner and we could watch one of your trashy shows you love so much. Just for two hours even, maybe by then she’ll be awake and I'll have some entertainment.” He tried to keep his tone teasing, but Seb had done so much for him today and he didn’t want him to go yet. So he laughed and then swallowed, working himself up for his next question. 

“And maybe soon, um, like in the next month or so I could, well, maybe spend the weekend at your place? I could make you your first home cooked meal in your actual house. You could show me your favorite spots around your part of town, I mean, we’re always here. Your place is just as important as mine.” He gave a smile showing he meant it, his thumb tracing over Seb’s long fingers in a comforting rhythm to the sounds of his cat's sweet purrs. It may have seemed a simple request, but it was a big deal for him and Seb knew that because Blaine had never asked to go before, and Seb had never asked him there either. They both knew it would be a task creating a new comfort space for Blaine to be in and for Seb to share his life. But their relationship was more than this apartment and this part of New York, it was everywhere and Blaine wanted to show that. 

 It was out there now and he found he didn’t want to take it back.

 Sebastian’s POV:

“I wish I could just imagine what it felt like to fall asleep that fast.” Sebastian shrugged his shoulders and watched the peaceful scene. “Your floor is a mess. I guess you better get used to it. There’s probably no need in picking it up, right? It’s really taking a lot for me to just...not start picking all of those mice up.”  He laughed, “maybe we should get a tote or something for all of this crap.” 

Sebastian could sense the change in Blaine’s honied eyes. He thumb brushed against his cheek, reminiscent of a snowy New Year’s Eve. He would have felt mortified for having fucking cat litter on his face if it weren’t for the look on the other man’s face. Blaine looked hopeful and was looking at Seb like he was the most perfect thing his eyes had ever fallen upon. Normally he’d say something sarcastic or witty but no words fell from his usually silver tongue. God, Blaine could make him feel so much better with just a glance of those damn eyes, the color of dead leaves, chrysanthemums, and sun tea.  Seb swallowed the lump in his throat and tried for a sly smile, but instead his just for B grin spread across his face.  “Of course. We can do whatever you want.” He cleared his throat, “Umm. I can make a pot of coffee when I get back and dig into my schoolwork.” 

He was a little taken off guard when Blaine mentioned visiting his place. Sebastian could swear that Blaine could see his thoughts painted across his forehead or something. Maybe it just came with knowing somebody for so long or maybe Sebastian didn’t have as good of a poker face as he thought. 

“We can do that. There’s no rush.”  Sebastian laced his fingers with his boyfriend’s. “But, what will we ever do without Ms. Katy Perry watching over us like our very own gay Goddess?” He laughed and pointed at the candy colored poster on Blaine’s wall. “I don’t own anything quite that colorful. Just imagine like...an updated version of the apartment in American Psycho. God, that’s a terrible description isn’t it? But, my father did hand pick it after all so I suppose it’s on brand.” He took a breath,” all jokes aside, I’d love that. Now, what were you planning on making for dinner? I’d ask if you need my help but we both Know I would start a fire or cut my finger off or something.”

Blaine’s POV:

“It’s alright, Seb.” He shook his head and gently squeezed his boyfriend's hand. “I promise at bedtime I’ll pick all the toys up. I think I have a small container up in my closet that I can use until I can get something better. And the next time you’re here they won't be spread out like that, I just wanted to give her options for her first day here.” Of course Seb was worried about the little tornado of toys around his miniature apartment. Adorable. 

Blaine noted the way Sebastian cleared his throat, his voice a little wobbly and emotional as he told him they could do whatever he wanted and he wondered if it was because he was thinking about the night they reconnected too. Seb was looking at him adoringly with his big grin, the one that only Blaine really got to see, and big green blue eyes that told him he’d done something right. He looked up at his boyfriend, and gave him a relieved smile as Seb relented and said he’d stay. He wanted nothing more than for Seb to always look at him that way. It wasn’t something he was used to, maybe years ago, but now, he had the chance again and he wasn’t going to let it drift away. And maybe wanting him to stay was selfish, but Blaine was never selfish and today he wanted to be.

“You’re right, what will we do?” He teased as he thought over what he had to cook in his small refrigerator. He laughed over the American Psycho quip because of course Seb’s house was sophisticated and plain. “I guess I’ll just have to decorate your house up with various pop stars, won’t I? I’ll make sure there’s an extra pop of fluorescent pink just for you. I’ll make sure your fairy lights are a delightful shade of purple. You can pay me back by keeping your axes in your car for the night.” He paused, giggling at their jokes before pressing another kiss to Seb’s lips. “I’d really love to be there, too. Let me go see what I can put together.”

Blaine didn’t have much, but he had ground turkey, pasta and cheese, red pepper flakes and some bread from the deli so he put together a simple spaghetti and meat sauce with a little bit of a kick and made his own garlic bread. Over the next three hours they sipped on coffee and iced water and watched one of Seb’s terrible reality shows while Soot snoozed away, exhausted from her busy day. And after the dishes were cleared and they were settled back on the couch they kissed and giggled and messed around a little bit. They didn’t get too serious, but their lips were swollen by the end of the night and Seb let Blaine put his hands all over him- teasing and touching until Blaine was sure Seb went home for the night completely satisfied. 

After he’d gone, Blaine sent Sebastian a photo of all Soot’s toys cleaned up and tucked under the little coffee table so she could get them out when she wanted; See, all clean! To which Seb sent a photo back of his homework spread out in front of him, yet another cup of coffee just visible in the frame; Yes, looks so much better! And a bit later, in bed, right before falling asleep, Blaine sent Seb a photo of Soot curled up next to him against the wall by his head. Blaine angled it to show the empty space where Seb was absent; The only thing missing is you. <3. A bit later, Seb sent one of himself back, lying in bed, his chest exposed, with a little grin on his face. The spot next to him empty; Ditto. Your spot is waiting.

And then they fell asleep with declarations of I love you’s and wishes of goodnight’s from both of them. 

 /fin.

[homogrimoire-archive]

Kingfield's Fourth Anniversary - Day 3

Your Hand in Mine

The Entity had grown tired of her usual show. Trials were efficient, but now a tad dull. So, she looked for inspiration, and found it in the games and stories humanity had created. Their purpose was to elicit emotion, so they would serve The Entity well until she decided to go back to doing Trials. Thus, this is how David and Dwight found themselves in a new game. But some things never change. Stakes are high, death is always nearby, and a foe stands in their way. [Basically, Kingfield but it's the video game ICO. And they got turned into teenagers. R.I.P.]

AO3 Link

Dwight awoke, prepared for another trial. But, he quickly noticed that something was different. He was in a cage with no means of escape. He began to panic, shaking against the bars. The Entity never did crap like this. After seeing the futility of trying to escape, he took deep breaths to calm himself down. He looked around to see what he could notice… a long way down and a set of spiraling stairs too far away to reach, even if he could break out. At least he seemed safe, for the time being. He didn’t doubt for a second that this wasn’t The Entity’s doing, and hell and despair was bound to break loose eventually.

Dwight sighed and waited with a fearful anticipation for things to progress. As he nervously chewed on his nails, he noticed something about himself. Something was on his teeth… braces. He quickly prayed that what he thought was happening wasn’t happening. He felt his face, feeling the telltale bums of some acne, got up and noticed that he felt shorter, and sunk back to the floor of the cage with a groan. Yup, that thing turned him into a teenager. The Entity was undeniably cruel, but this was a new low for her.

He wondered why The Entity would do such a thing. Had the sight of blood and gore finally become tiresome? What did she have to gain from what she was doing now that she wasn’t already getting before? Dwight almost didn’t want to think about it. Then, he heard another call out to him.

“Oi! Someone there?!” the other boy called out from below. Quickly Dwight scurried to the bars of the cage to see who could be.

“Yes! Yes! Someone's hEre!” he frantically called out, his voice cracking as he screamed “here.” He couldn’t be bothered to care. The sight and sound of another person was comforting.

“All right! Just ‘old tight then!” the boy said. Dwight noticed that it seemed familiar, and a spark of hope emerged.

“David! Is that you!?”

“…Holy shite, Dwight?! ‘M on my way luv!” David assured, shifting from a jog up the stairs to a full on sprint. By the time he reached where he was level with Dwight, David was out of breath. “Is it… is it really you?” he huffed.

“Yeah, it’s me.” Dwight confirmed with great joy. He felt so happy to see David he could cry.

“Well, a sight for sore eyes I’ll say, and a new sight at that too.” he said, noticing Dwight’s younger appearance. Dwight blushed away at the compliment, hiding his face behind his hands. Then, he realized that David must also be in a younger body as well. He shifted his fingers away from his eyes to get a look at his boyfriend in teenage form.

“Aww, David, you’re so cute!” Dwight exclaimed as he moved closer to the edge of the cage to get a better look. Don’t get Dwight wrong, he loved how rugged David looked, but he couldn’t help but fawn over the teen David.

“God, don’t bloody remind me…” he said as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Even his voice was kinda cute now, nowhere as deep as his adult self. His face was a bit softer from having yet to deal with trying to heal from fighting so much. It was even a little chubbier. And of course, he was a lot shorter, but shorter than expected. His hair was in a simple style, cut a similar length all around rather than a fade on the back and sides with a tuft of hair on top. He also seemed to have the beginnings of some muscle definition, rather than the well defined body his adult self had. None of that really mattered to Dwight though. It was David, and he was gonna love David no matter what.

“But you are cute!”

“How ‘bout we get you out first ‘fore we start this.”

“Oh, right, right! Hmm…” Dwight hummed as scanned around for something to help in that regard.

“You know, you’re pretty cute too.” David said as he awaited orders from Dwight. He too was shorter, but had a similar haircut to his adult self. His face was softer, A little lankier too, but still obviously Dwight. None of it really mattered though. It was Dwight, and he was gonna love Dwght no matter what.

Even if their bodies had regressed, their love and memories with each other persisted.

“How ‘bout wE-” Dwight began in a mocking tone, but then his voice cracked. He quickly covered his mouth. “Don't you dare.” Dwight said.

“Wasn't gonna say nothin’ luv.” David responded as he held in a fit of laughter. He knew he wasn’t in any position to laugh either, but seeing Dwight like this was fantastic, fun even. He imagined that his boyfriend felt the same way anyhow.

Eventually, Dwight spotted a lever higher up. After jumping through a window and a bit of navigation, David finally reached it. And thankfully, it did the trick, slowly lowering the cage.

“Nice!” Dwight celebrated with a hop and a fist in the air.

“Right. See you down there luv!” David happily nodded.

David felt as if he couldn't get there soon enough, perhaps because of his shorter stature now. But, he did. Once back at the floor level, Dwight directed him to a spot where he could jump and land on top of the cage. Hopefully, they could both jump on it at the same time and break the chain, and hopefully the lock too or a bar or something.

On the count of three, David jumped to the cage as Dwight jumped up. They landed at about the same time, causing a chain to break under the sudden force. The cage fell a few feet with a loud clang. David slipped off as it hit the ground, fortunate to land on the stone with his behind rather than his head.

The lock was broken upon impact, and the cage door creaked open.

"Yeah, we did it!" Dwight celebrated as he took a step out. Unfortunately, his foot got caught on the lip of a platform, causing him to trip, landing right on top of David. Embarrassed, they both remained in a quiet shock for a moment.

"You, uh, come 'ere often?" David joked. Dwight laughed at the cheesy line.

"Nah, but maaaybe I will if you're here. Maybe." Dwight quipped.

"Ahh, cheeky. Sounds like y'need a little convincin'."

"Do I? I'm not sure you can." Dwight said, knowing very well what he was doing.

"Sounds like a challenge. I like a challenge." David smiled, and closed his eyes as Dwight leaned in. But, that kiss did not come.

Suddenly, Dwight's weight was lifted off of him. He opened his eyes to see that Dwight was just as surprised as well. A shadow lifted him up and over its shoulders in a familiar manner.

"Hey, lEt gO!" Dwight shouted as it carried him away. Quickly, David picked up an unlit torch and dashed over to the shadow.

"Fock off bugger!" David yelled as he slammed the makeshift weapon over its head. It fell to the ground, releasing Dwight in the process. With one more good swing to its back as it lay stunned on the floor, the shadow disappeared into nothing. Swiftly, David cast aside the torch and rushed to Dwight's side.

"You good Dwight?" David asked, looking him over to make sure nothing was amiss.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I'm alright. What was that?" he wondered, looking past David to where the shadow was felled.

"I don't know, but I don't think we're in a trial, not a normal one anyhow." David noted as he helped Dwight up.

"Yeah… Say, how did you end up here?" Dwight wondered, hoping some light could be shed on the situation.

"Don't know. Woke up in one a them caskets over there. Managed to knock it over and break free. You?"

"Woke up in that cage." Dwight pointed. Still in the dark.

"Any reason she might do this to us?"

"Probably a million reasons. But for now, we have no way of knowing." Dwight sighed. "But, at least we're stuck with each other." Dwight said on a more positive note, and pecked David on his cheek, making him blush.

"Stuck with me huh? 'M wounded Dwight…" David said, turning his back to his love, pretending to be hurt.

"Aww, can I ever make it up to you?" he wondered, knowing the answer already. He embraced David from behind, throwing his arms around the other and resting his head on top of David's.

"I dunno, maybe." he teased. Then he realized what was happening. "Wait a bloody minute… are you taller 'an me?"

The realization hit Dwight like a truck. He backed away to confirm their suspicions, and a happy smile spread across his face. He even giggled a little.

"I'm am so going to enjOy this!" he cried as he pulled David in for an embrace one more. Dwight was about a little more than a head taller than his boyfriend, so David's head came to rest at Dwight's chest.

"Well don't get used to it luv. We both know how we end up. M' late growth spurt is gonna kick you in the arse." David said, trying to sound annoyed and angry as he leaned into the hug. He wasn't though. He was going to enjoy this while he could too. With one final squeeze, Dwight let his boyfriend go.

"Alright! Let's see… how are we going to gEt out of here…" Dwight said as he scanned the surroundings. The dim light by torch gave just enough light to be able to see.

"How 'bout behind 'ere? Looks like there's another room." David noticed with a light kick to the bottom of the pillar-wall.

"Oh yeah, you're right. Maybe we could…" Dwight began to wonder. But, once his fingers grazed the stone, a bright light shone, blinding them for a moment. Once the sudden spark of light faded, the pillars moved to reveal a corridor to another section of the place.

"Well damn. I knew your fingers could work some magic, but not like that."

"David!" Dwight yelled, his face reddening with embarrassment. David chuckled as Dwight gave him a light slap on his arm.

"Sorry babe, couldn't resist." he said, a devious little smile on his face. Then, he took Dwight's hand. "Well, we should get a move on luv. Doubt our benefactor 'll be merciful if we sit 'round twiddlin' with our thumbs. Don't think she'll be giving us answers to much either."

"Yeah, you're right. As long as we got each other, we'll be fine." Dwight affirmed, tightening his grip. With a kiss, they proceeded onto the next room.

After a series of steps to help Dwight navigate the area and fending off more shadows that began to look familiar upon closer inspection, which they tried not to dwell on, they finally made it outside. They were still hand in hand when the fresh air hit them. Their hands rarely broke away from one another during the ordeal.

"Wow, It's nice out here." Dwight said quietly.

"Yeah. Wouldn't expect something like this from her."

The place was beautiful, with no ominous vibe to boot. They guessed they were stuck in some kind of castle, an old looking one at that. They didn't recognize it from anywhere, and David distinctly didn't recognize the architecture. Didn't seem like a place built in the future or modernity either, unless complex stonework made a comeback. Then, Dwight noticed a bench nearby in the shade.

"How about we rest for a moment? She probably wouldn't make a bench if she didn't want us to use it." Dwight reasoned. His experience told him that The Entity was quite the minimalist. While her recreations of trial settings were faithful, her additions were bare, and her subtractions were many. The result was a place that was exactly what it needed to be, nothing more, nothing less.

"Yeah, I could use one. Legs are bloody killing me after all those stairs!" he rightfully complained.

He took a seat first, Dwight taking the one next to him. They leaned against each other, taking in the peacefulness of their surroundings. There was a light breeze. Birds chirped as they flew by, and the air was a comfortable warmth. Eventually, they closed their eyes and fell asleep on the cool bench, hands still intertwined.

It was their first truly peaceful sleep in a very long time.

-

They eventually awoke, feeling refreshed. They stayed together on that bench for only a few moments longer. They didn't want to give her a reason to interfere with an otherwise relatively acceptable ordeal. They'd take this over a trial any day. They briefly hoped the others were alright too, off on their own odd but agreeable adventure.

They continued on with their journey, David helping Dwight get from point A to point B because he wasn't exactly a physically strong guy, and defeating shadows that threatened to not only take Dwight, but also pull at their heartstrings. Many times, David swore he would never let them take Dwight into that dark with them.

Many more times, they found comfort in simply being with each other. That lay in their rest stops at the benches, gazing at the serene scenery, and even in exploring the sprawling castle. For all its concerning mystery, it's grandiose couldn't be denied. Thus, they chose to enjoy the exploration too, in part out of spite against The Entity. By comparison to the trials, this place was a heaven.

But, people make mistakes. Ancient, and Great gods don't.

-

David was the first to wake this time, stretching with a loud groan that awoke a still sleepy Dwight.

"Five more minutes…" Dwight sleepily moaned.

"All right luv, five more." David agreed, and curled up closer to Dwight. He blindly searched for Dwight's hand and took it into his. By then, it was instinctual. Didn't want any shadows sneaking up and taking away his love. It was a damn good excuse to always be holding hands, even if they got sweaty and clammy easily. Neither minded though.

What they imagined were five minutes , the couple was up and continuing their journey. They crossed a bridge into an assault by the shadows. It was the most shadows they had encountered in a single attack. But, Dwight was confident in David, and David in himself.

However, that confidence proved to be their mistake. David had strayed too far from Dwight.

"David! Help! Oh god. David!" Dwight cried out as he beat his fists on the shadow's back. He tried kicking it as he flailed, but to no avail.

"Dwight? Dwight!" David screamed once he saw what was going on. He beat his way through the shadows as fast as he could, fueled by the desire to save his love, by the fear of losing him. He clawed his way through the horde more and more frantically as Dwight grew closer and closer to the void from which the shadows emerged, and into which he would surely disappear.

It was not enough. It was too late. As Dwight was submerged into the portal, he could still glimpse what lay outside of it. He saw David continue to struggle, tears running down his face with a pained and intense expression on it. Then, a wave of energy, and he froze, that despairing look on his face forever etched into Dwight's mind as it was onto the stone corpse.

"No… No no no no no!" Dwight hoarsely screamed, tears of his own flowing relentlessly. He futilely tried to reach out for David's outstretched hand, but he couldn't reach, couldn't feel the warmth from that small act of intimacy anymore.

This place was different. What if death here truly was the end? Both men would have been alright with that at one point. But now, they had each other, a great reason to live .

He was eventually dropped off somewhere by the shadow. He almost didn't notice with grief consuming him. But then, he heard it, a familiar song.

La la la la la la laa

Laa la la la laa la la

He quickly got up, wiping his tears away even though they continued to flow and blur his vision. He could make out the thing in front of him. The lullaby that was anything but a comfort made it clear it was the huntress. Yet, it didn't exactly look like her. She was shrouded in much darkness. She only seemed to retain her pale mask and skin.

Her head methodically swayed to her song like a slow metronome. He readied a fighting stance like David had taught him. She got up, and slowly walked towards him. Inch by inch, his stance weakened, along with his will. He then found himself falling to the floor, curling into a ball.

Finally, she stood before him. Gently, she picked him up, and held him close as if he were a small child and not a lanky teen.

La la la la la la laa

Laa la la la laa la la

Despite knowing, he leaned into it, holding tighter. Perhaps it was selfish, but he focused on trying to fool himself into thinking it was David. Back in his strong, comforting arms, something he was sure he would never feel again now.

He wailed in despair. Eventually, his weeping stopped. He too was stone now. Yet, the shadowy huntress continued her lullaby, and continued to cradle him in her arms, happy and content that the little one was calm now. Finally, a success in the one hunt that eluded her.

-

"Five more minutes…" Dwight sleepily moaned.

"All right luv, five more." David agreed, and curled up closer to Dwight. He blindly searched for Dwight's hand and took it into his.

Refreshed, the couple continued their adventure. Soon, they came across the largest horde of shadows that had come across yet. They were defeated soon enough, David sticking close enough to Dwight to be able to protect him in this instance.

Their journey continued. Brave David clearing jumps that made Dwight quake, Dwight jumping after some coaxing from David, David catching him and pulling him up when he came up just a bit short. Taking care of more shadows, opening more pillars with magic. Eventually, they came face to face with their antagonist for the first time. She appeared in a spark of light and dark.

Hm hm hm hm hm hm hmm

Hmm hm hm hm hmm hm hm

Still holding hands, David put himself between her and Dwight, his trusty stick drawn.

"Fock off you bloody monster!" David yelled at her.

Dwight. I'm waiting for you, dear child. she asked in a sickeningly sweet voice and smile, arms outstretched towards him to welcome him. Come to where you belong! Yet, as she spoke, her lullaby did not stop. She also spoke in both her mother tongue and the one they both understood.

"Fuck off!" David yelled. With a scream, he charged at her with the stick. It proved effective against shadows, why not her? The answer was magic. A field of energy simply made him unmajestically flop back, knocking the stick out of his hand.

"DavId!" Dwight yelled as he rushed to his side.

This is the thing you follow? What are you doing with something like that? she said to Dwight.

Dear Dwight lives in a far different world from you. Know who you are, and leave him for that reason. she ordered David, and in a spark of light, the shadowy Huntress vanished.

"Are you Alright?" Dwight was quick to ask. "'M fine. Had my arse handed to me there," David groaned, "but I'll live. A better question is what the 'ell’s she on about?"

"I don't know. Who ever knows what those monsters think." Dwight said. They both figured she was someone who wouldn't make much sense if she spoke anyhow.

So, they went onward, now knowing of their greater enemy in this game they were thrown into by The Entity. Since their trusty stick, now partially burnt, had proven to be slightly less trustworthy, they were unsure of how they would defeat the huntress, if they could, or if that was even the endgame of his ordeal. There were still many things unknown about The Entity and this game.

-

After the usual fanfare, they came to rest at a bench looking out to the ocean. Despite the overcast sky as well, it remained comfortably warm. With the time for repose upon them, their minds wandered. Dwight still held onto David's hand, letting him absent-mindedly rub his palm. Eventually, their wordlessness was broken.

"Hey Dwight?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you, y'know?"

"I know. You know I love you too, right?"

"I do."

"Good. I'm glad."

-

Their journey to find a way out of the castle continued on. The threat of various types of shadows, small and many, flying, and the normal ones, persisted. Traversing the place was a team effort neither minded.

For such moments when it was just them, they could imagine they were teens living a grand, fantastical adventure together like those of storybooks. They both wondered how their lives could have turned out if they had known each other when they were younger, before The Entity. Realistically, they both knew that their meeting probably wouldn't have resulted in anything meaningful, all things considered. But, they dreamed of something wonderful all the same.

-

"No… No no no no no!" Dwight hoarsely screamed, tears of his own flowing relentlessly. He futilely tried to reach out for David's outstretched hand, but he couldn't reach, couldn't feel the warmth from that small act of intimacy anymore.

This place was different. What if death here truly was the end? Both men would have been alright with that at one point. But now, they had each other, a great reason to live.

Dwight continued to try and break free of the shadow's grip, to escape and run back to David. And do something, anything. But, they came out of the portal soon enough, and Dwight was at the feet of the shadowy Huntress.

La la la la la la laa

Laa la la la laa la la

Dwight screamed and rushed at her, hitting her repeatedly as she did not react to his weak blows.

"Give him bAck to me, damn yOu!" he bawled as his voice cracked.

She tried to comfort him with an embrace, but he pushed her away. He began to run. As he did so, he began to turn to stone.

She calmly walked over to him, and saw the saddening expression on his stone face.

Another failed hunt of that which is elusive. She hoped there would be more successes in her future. She knew that feeling of success in this elusive hunt now, and wanted it more and more.

-

"Dwight?"

"Yeah?"

"You think it's bad I wouldn't mind staying here forever?" David wondered. Dwight gave it some thought.

"Nah. I don't think so. This place isn’t sO bad. A lot better than any trial, that's for sure."

"Well, more than that. I don't 'ave a lot going for me back home. At least 'ere, I don't 'ave to worry 'bout that."

"Yeah… I get what you mean." Dwight replied. He didn't have much going for him either back home. He wasn't even sure what would happen if he got back.

Would he end up when The Entity picked him up, or ten years into the future. Either way, a lot of adjustment would be in order. The only thing he did know was that he and David would be able to find one another since they came from about the same time. That also begged the question if they would remember each other. Dwight didn't want to remember all the terrible torture and death he saw and endured. But, he didn't want to forget David and the friends he made while there.

"But, I still think I want to go back. I still want to be somebody. I want to live a real life. I think I'm brave enough to do that now." Dwight said with quiet pride.

"'M sure you'll do great luv." David was happy for him, but this also made him sad. Maybe that thing was right…

"Thanks David, for believing in me." Dwight gratefully said, and leaned against David as they say.

"Welcome luv. I'll always believe in you." he replied with a smile. It quickly faded though. He could believe in Dwight, always would. Couldn't say the same for himself.

Dwight felt David hold onto him more tightly. At first, he interpreted it as an act of affection more than anything else. But, he couldn't shake the odd feeling that something was up with his boyfriend.

"What's wrong David?" he asked, pulling apart so he could look at him. David averted his gaze.

"… You wouldn't leave me, would you?" he asked after a moment of hesitation. Such moments of vulnerability were difficult for him still. Though, admittedly easier than before.

"What? No! David, I-" Dwight began, realizing what David was really talking about. "David, come on, look at me." Dwight begged, and gently lifted David's chin.

He looked into Dwight's eyes for only a moment before returning to look down.

"I'd never leave you behind, alright? Wherever I go, I want to be by your side. Now matter where or when we are, that's not gonna change. I love you." Dwight finished, placing a kiss on David's forehead. David returned the gesture with a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks babe. Needed that." David said, returning to cuddling with Dwight. He smiled and felt a warmth spread across his body as Dwight enveloped him. It was a good feeling to know that Dwight wanted to be by his side.

-

"Well, this place looks 'bout right." David noted. It appeared to be a gate leading to the outside. Behind it, a bridge. "Wanna work you magic again luv?"

"Here goes nothing." Dwight said, and cautiously grazed the door. And just like last time, a spark of light. But this time, it's magnitude and intensity was far greater, eliciting a scream out of Dwight.

David yelled for him, but was pushed away by the light. When it faded, the gate began to open. David ignored it, and rushed to Dwight's side as he lay on the ground.

"Dwight. Dwight!" David said with great worry as he tried to shake the other awake.

“I’m alright.” he grumbled as David helped him up. “Come on. We should hurry.” David hummed in agreement, and led the way, holding Dwight’s hand as he ran behind.

At the bridge’s midpoint, something unexpected happened. A beam of a spark of light hit Dwight, holding him back and sending David tumbling forward and off the edge. He just barely caught the ledge, and hurried to pull himself back up. Then he noticed that the bridge was retracting, separating him and Dwight.

With a grunt, he jumped the gap, narrowly missing the ledge. But Dwight was quick to act despite being zapped, and grabbed onto David’s hand. Dwight struggled to pull him up. As David struggled too, Dwight felt a terrible feeling. It began with his feet, and spread up his body, taking his legs, waist, torso. It was a literally heavy feeling. Despite this, he continued to try and help David up, as he had done for him many times during their adventure. Then, he sensed another. He didn’t need to look up to see who it was, nor did he care.

From below, Dwight could see the shadow Huntress looming above Dwight, staring down at him with a smile. Then he saw it. She was turning Dwight to stone. It was too late.

“I’m sorry. I- I love you.” Dwight said through tears, and let go of David before the petrification wave could take him too. David plummeted to the waters below, a range of emotions overtaking him before he blacked out.

-

When David awoke, he was on the rocky entrance of a cave. He’d lost his trusty stick in the fall, and was left with nothing now. There was only one way to go, so David went into the cave. All there was for him to do now was find his way back to the castle, and save Dwight. Or die trying.

That thing was right. He wasn’t like Dwight. He wasn’t strong in those wonderous ways that Dwight was. Maybe it was a tad pathetic or unhealthy, but it's who he was. But so what? He could always work on that later. And he loved Dwight, and Dwight loved him. For now, he would do all that he could: focus on saving his boyfriend.

The cave and subsequent areas proved to be more daunting than the castle. But, David persisted, even managing to find an axe that carried the spark of light and dark. It would surely prove useful later when he beat that thing to bits for what it had done.

The whole time, David could not help but notice that his hand felt so empty without Dwight holding onto it.

He tried holding the axe in that hand, but it did not provide any comfort. The handle was hard and cold, like stone. Nothing like Dwight's warm and soft hands. He quickly switched the sword back to his other hand and pressed forward.

Many more shadows manifested as he found his way back into the castle. Without Dwight and his insight, David found the place to be more puzzling. Now that he was alone, he couldn't help but focus on the fact that these were more like shades than mere shadows. Many of them were in the image of fellow survivors: friends and acquaintances.

He saw them emerge from the caskets, the same kind as the one he broke out of. He really hoped this was some sort of cruel joke by The Entity, and not really them. Regardless, at the end of the day, it was them or him and Dwight, so David did not hesitate to force the shades to dispel. He appreciated the axe since it took care of the enemies quicker. He would have appreciated it more back when he had Dwight to protect.

And eventually, he found Dwight, frozen in place, reaching out to David and surrounded by those shadows.

"Get away from him!" he ordered the wretched things. That got their attention, and they went for him, only to quickly be dispelled.

Solemnly, David walked up the steps, and fell to his knees in front of the statue, letting the axe fall too. He placed his hand into his love's. What was once alive with warmth and love was now dry and cold and hard. He began to weep.

"I'm sorry Dwight… I'm sorry…"

How long he stayed there, he wasn't sure. But eventually, he picked himself up, and the axe.

"I'll be back. I promise."

With that, he proceeded onward. He held the axe up to a set of stone pillars. A spark of light, and they moved to reveal an elevator. He could hear the Huntress's song echoing from above.

This struggle would be over soon, and he and Dwight would be united. That's how these kinds of things went. Beat the bad guy, and things would be fine.

The elevator reached the top with a clang. Past the wide hall and in the open room at the end of it, the shadow Huntress sat.

Hm hm hm hm hm hm hmm

Hmm hm hm hm hmm hm hm

You come for the release of death. It is not an escape. she revealed to David as he angrily walked down the hall.

You come for a love you don't deserve. Love is not eternal. she told him as he stared her down in the middle of the room.

"And wot in the blazes do you know about love, either of you?" he questioned with a rage in his voice.

She laughed, and the lullaby was the only sound of hers to remain. A field of energy then surrounded her. From it, a wave flew out. David braced himself, with the axe in front to shield him.

And it worked. The wave flew around the axe, and a quick glance showed that the two nearby pillars could be used as protection too.

With a battle cry, David charged at the Huntress. The axe clashed with the force field, knocking the weapon out of his hand and sending him flying back. He saw her charging up to send another wave out, and hurried to take cover behind a pillar. Once the wave of light and dark passed, he hurried to the axe and rushed at the monster again.

Once more, he was thrown back. Though this time, the sword landed closer to him. He blocked another wave, and attacked again. All the while, she swayed to her song as she sat on the throne.

David rushed at her once more. With a roar, the barrier shattered, and the axe embedded itself in her chest. She stopped her lullaby for a moment before weakly resuming it.

Sing 'nonomori'

Say 'nonomori'

It's all we have left

She gently said. And with one final, bone-chilling laugh, there was a flash of light, and the shade huntress was simply gone. The force sent David flying backwards into the air. His back hit a wall, and he fell to the floor, unconscious.

-

Dwight woke to a thundering roar. He didn't know where he was. As he got up, he noticed he was a shadow now, sparks of darkness flying off him. He looked around, and saw that two blockade pillars had been opened. He knew it was David, hoped it was anyhow, and rushed over, going up the elevator.

His suspicions were correct. David lay in the center of the room. Dwight ran to his side. He wasn't dead, thankfully. Just unconscious. Another rumble, and Dwight realized that the place was falling apart. Quickly, but gently, he scooped David up. It took less strength than he thought, likely because of his condition.

Running on intuition, Dwight traversed the area, finally coming to a lone boat tied to a dock. Carefully, he set David in it. He considered getting in, but decided against it. He had the feeling he was done for, or would be soon enough. He didn't want to cause David any more pain. So, he pushed the boat, and let it drift away towards the nearby shore away from the island. He hoped for the best for David as a sadness enveloped him while he watched the boat become smaller and smaller.

-

David found himself waking up in the boat, which had since landed on the beach. There was a dull pain at the back of his head, but he ignored it. He got up and stepped out of the wooden boat, but tripped and landed face first in the sand. A real great way to start things.

He picked himself up and dusted himself off, scanning the beach as he did so, and saw nothing at first. But then, in the distance, he saw something lying on the beach. With nothing better to do, he began to walk towards it. As he neared it, he realized the figure looked familiar, and began to sprint towards it. Even closer, he saw that it was Dwight.

"Dwight! Dwight!" he called out as he shook the other awake.

"Five more minutes…" he groaned as he turned to face away from what awoke him. David laughed, and began to cry tears of joy as he picked Dwight up, thoroughly waking him up in the process.

"Huh? David? David!" Dwight exclaimed as he realized what was going on and tightly embraced him back. He too began to cry tears of joy.

They briefly broke apart to look into each other's eyes, and kissed.

-

Hand in hand, they sat together, watching and listening to the waves, and sharing a watermelon they found growing in a patch not too far away. They did not know how long they would have this moment, where they felt love and contentment so intensely. They didn't ponder on how long they would have this anyhow. They just wanted to live in that moment then and there, so they did.

"Hey, you think we can count this as our first real date?" Dwight asked before taking a bite of a piece of watermelon.

"Do y'want it to?"

"Do you?" Dwight asked in return. David pondered the question for a moment.

"It's a nice place, innit? Nice for our first date." David answered. "Would take you somewhere fancier, but, y'know." Dwight chuckled at that.

"As long as you're here, this is perfect." he smiled. David pecked Dwight's forehead in response.

Hand in hand, the lovers leaned against one another, feeling a love they thought they would never feel.

[themattress]

OUAT AND ME: IN WONDERLAND

Story - Because this spin-off series only lasted for one season's worth of 13 episodes, its story is simply the Wonderland Saga and nothing else beyond that, which is for the best given that the story reaches far too complete an ending for anything beyond it to make any sense. The story is about Alice and what transpired after she returned from her original journey through Wonderland as a little girl, leading up to her romance with a young genie named Cyrus as a teenager, their tragic separation, her commitment to a mental institution, and her return to Wonderland in order to reunite with her lost love alongside her friend the Knave of Hearts, all while facing threats from the Red Queen and Jafar who seek to use Cyrus’ genie powers to break the laws of magic in order to accomplish their own secret goals.

The Wonderland Saga is as tight as tight can be, with one chief setting (Wonderland), a relatively small cast of characters, and a 4-episode beginning, 4-episode middle, and 5-episode end. Of course, this wouldn't matter if it wasn't an engaging story with enjoyable characters, but thankfully it very much is. This series is the brainchild of not just Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis, but also of Jane Espenson and Zack Estrin, and because of this fact combined with its limited length, it actually surpasses the original Once Upon a Time when you stack the two completed shows up against each other. Sometimes, less is more.

As I said, the story is divided into a clear-cut beginning, middle, and end. The beginning focuses on the early part of Alice and the Knave's journey and establishing who they are and what their deal is, while Jafar and the Red Queen's goals and motivations are kept enigmatic and Cyrus is trapped in a cage for the whole duration of the time. The middle lets Cyrus escape, sheds light on Jafar and the Red Queen's goals and motivations, and explores the darker sides of Alice and the Knave as we see just how badly their past traumas have affected them. And the end is all about the alliance of Alice, Cyrus, the Knave and the Red Queen as they fight Jafar and his new ally the Jabberwocky to decide the fate of Wonderland. It's here that all lingering questions are answered and all character arcs are fully completed.

As far as stories go, this is top tier OUAT. I think I like the Dark Curse and Neverland Sagas slightly more, but the Wonderland Saga comes in at an incredibly close third place.

Characters - There are less of them than in the main show, so this will be easy.

* We start with Alice, played by Sophie Lowe as a teenager and by pre-Stranger Things Millie Bobby Brown as a child. She is a wonderfully multi-faceted heroine, capable of great love and great hate, great kindness and great cruelty, great ingenuity and great gullibility, and always treading the line between holding to hope and giving into despair. While her romance with Cyrus is the focal point of the story, I love that it's not the only important aspect to her character. We also delve into her fractured relationship with her father; her initially unsteady but eventually rock solid friendship with Will; her hate, fear and distrust of Anastasia up until she finally sees the girl behind the queenly mask and how very much alike they truly are; and even her internal mental and emotional conflicts with herself on various matters that sometimes go external due to how Wonderland works. And no offense to Emma Swan, who is great in her prime, but I feel like Alice is ultimately the stronger and more likable lead.

* Cyrus really impresses me, because being the romantic male object of the heroine's attention and a guy who spends the entire first third of the story stuck in a cage, he could have very easily been a boring character. But very quickly, he shows that good looks and magic powers aren't all there is to him - this guy is smart. His cleverness and ingenuity that allows him to affect the plot even when inside his cage is something to behold, and he only gets better once he's free from his prison and gets to play off other characters with more frequency. Add to this a backstory where we see he used to be a selfish con artist, and it being his love for Alice that changed the selfish part while repurposing the con artist part for the cause of good, and you have a character you can enjoy and a couple you can root for.

* The show's breakout character, for better or for worse (no, it's definitely for worse, as we'll see in the next post) is the Knave of Hearts / Will Scarlet. Played excellently by Michael Socha, Will was formerly one of Robin Hood's Merry Men but is now an outlaw all to himself in Wonderland. He's sardonic and quippy, selfish and yet reliable at the same time, eerily muted in his emotions due to having his heart removed from his chest and yet clearly possessing deep feelings within his soul that occasionally bubble to the surface. We watch him go from an untrustworthy, cowardly cad who refuses to accept responsibility for anything to a brave and loyal friend who will sacrifice his own well-being for those he cares about. And his love story with Anastasia honestly steals the show from Alice and Cyrus', as it's full of betrayal and heartbreak and fights and truces and reconciliations before its happy ending, and that honestly feels more human than Alice and Cyrus' entirely plot-based separation.

* Speaking of the Red Queen / Anastasia, she is the female villain with a redemption arc that Regina (and Zelena, to a lesser extent) wishes she was. When she first appears, the Red Queen seems to be a chillingly calm and poised sociopath without moral scruples, but she quickly starts displaying vulnerability, and kudos must be given to Emma Rigby for conveying this through her amazing performance. Her cool, haughty face is like a mask, with more and more cracks beginning to show until we see who she really is - Anastasia, a peasant girl who was misled into a life that was full of power and privilege but that was also lonely and way over her capability to endure in the long run, and who desperately wants to take it all back and return to who she used to be. Once she realizes that she won't be getting the magic shortcut she seeks and that in the process of seeking it she'd wrought even more damage to Wonderland, Anastasia fully commits herself to doing better by everyone that she'd hurt. Even horrific torture, temporary death and mind control doesn't stop her from aiding in the cause to save Wonderland! She's amazing and more than earns her happy ending with Will.

* I could gush about Jafar, the Big Bad of the story, all day long. Jafar has always been my favorite Disney Villain, but he's the villain of an animated musical comedy, so I guess I've always had the question in the back of my mind as to what he'd be like if applied to something with a more serious tone? Well, this version of the character, played to chilling perfection by Naveen Andrews, answers that question. Stripped of most of his caricatured and humorous elements, Jafar is a psychotic, power-hungry madman who will stop at nothing to get what he desires. There is no-one he won't manipulate or torture or murder in his quest to become all-powerful. And the show also gives him a feasible, compelling and incredibly dark backstory (he's the bastard child of an Agrabahn sultan who rejected him to the point of trying to murder him) that explains why he is the way he is but is never used to excuse him or entertain the slightest notion that he might be redeemable.  This version of Jafar perfectly embodies what Roy Disney and Jeffrey Katzenberg said about the original: “Jafar is just pure evil. He wants to take over the kingdom and kill everybody in sight or enslave them, or whatever suits his fancy." "This is the guy that wants it all. You know right from the start that he is a desperate character, capable of doing anything and everything to get what he wants".

* The White Rabbit / Percy is a purely CGI character, and you'd fear that this wouldn't work, but the show embraces how cartoony he is and so it actually works perfectly. He's a very appealing character as well: very neurotic and cowardly, but also a family man whose heart is in the right place and who can be very brave when push comes to shove. A lot of his likability also comes from the fact that John Lithgow (yes, I'm surprised they were able to get him too!) does his voice, and I can't think of anyone else who could voice such a character better.

* In terms of side characters, we have many Wonderland staples reimagined for this show, such as the Cheshire Cat who is now a feral beast voiced by Keith David, the Caterpillar who is now a Jabba the Hutt-esque crime boss voiced by Iggy Pop (who sounds nothing like the voice from the main show, but I digress), Tweedledee and Tweedledum who are the Red Queen's manservants (one being undyingly loyal while the other is a spy for Jafar), the sleazy Red King who tempts Anastasia into becoming his bride, the Carpenter who is trapped in a drug-like haze in the Boro Grove, the White Knight who stands guard over an important pair of doorways, and the Jabberwocky, a monster in the form of a humanoid woman whose power is being able to see a person's greatest fear and use it to psychologically torture them.

There is also mention of Alice having met Jefferson the Mad Hatter when she was a child, and Cora the Queen of Hearts herself appears in the flashback that shows how she manipulated events so that Will became the Knave of Hearts and ensure that Anastasia remained the Red Queen, whom she taught magic and villainy to and treated like a daughter. Regina, Zelena, Anastasia...is there no young woman that Cora won’t attempt to ruin?

Other side characters from other realms include Alice's highly flawed yet ultimately repentant father Edwin, his bitch of a new wife Sarah and her precocious young daughter Millie, and the cold-hearted Dr. Lydgate all from Alice's Victorian world; Robin Hood, Maleficent (voice-over only) and Anastasia's mother Lady Tremaine all from the Enchanted Forest; Nyx the guardian of a sacred well, Cyrus' mother and Jafar's teacher Amara, Cyrus' brothers Taj and Rafi, and Jafar's father the Sultan and half-brother Mirza all from Agrabah. The Sultan, by the way, is a particularly interesting character, as he's introduced as Cyrus' kindly old cellmate and you really get to thinking of him as a good guy, only to then learn who he really is and just what an utterly horrible person he was in the past. His tale is a tragic one, as while he sincerely commits to repenting, it’s not good enough and thus he cannot escape fatal poetic justice.

And then there's one side character that just really gets my goat: Elizabeth aka the Lizard, a cute young thief who has a crush on Will. She appears in the 4th episode and doesn't really do much of anything, then disappears for a while. I thought maybe she was going to end up paired with that "Mr. Darcy" suitor of Alice's from her world and it was going to be a big Pride and Prejudice reference...but instead, she reappears in the 9th episode, becomes the now genified Will's master, and makes a wish that accidentally kills her in order to give Will man-pain. And then she isn't really spoken of again afterward. What was even the point of her!? You could cut all of her scenes and actions from this story and miss absolutely nothing!

Atmosphere - I would describe this show's atmosphere as light and dark, back to back. When it's light, it is much lighter than Once Upon a Time, being very whimsical and romantic and fluffy and hopeful to an even higher degree than its parent show at its best. However, this kind of lightness helps to make the dark elements come off as that much darker as a result. And while there's certainly some dark stuff where Alice in concerned, from an intended lobotomy in the premiere episode to the intense clashing she has with her father, and in the troubled pasts of Will and Anastasia, nothing comes close to the darkness of everything Jafar-related. It's a guarantee that he will do something horrible to someone at least once per episode, although it's usually more than once. The nature of his backstory as a bastard child whose father attempts to drown him plus the intensity of his depraved power-lust also make him a particularly dark character, as is his eventual partner, the terrifying Jabberwocky. Personally, I have always appreciated stories that can balance light and dark in this way and am able to handle both of them, so this show's atmosphere is very appealing to me.

Episode Quality - All I can say here is that there is only one dud in this series, and it's not hard to spot which episode it is. Like I said, while the beginning and middle portions of the show are 4 episodes each, the end is 5 episodes...and the first of those 5, "Nothing to Fear", is incredibly awkward and poorly executed. On top of being where the aforementioned death of the Lizard occurs, the plotline with Alice, Cyrus and Anastasia is also botched. Alice clinginess to Cyrus out of worry that he might become separated from her again and she wants to savor the time she has with him now doesn't really work in the context of needing to find where the freshly genified Will went ASAP, and it makes Alice look bad - Will went through "Bloody Hell" to help her reunite with Cyrus, and now that she's been reunited with him at the direct expense of Will, she doesn't give a fuck? She feels no urgent desire to pay her friend back and be as dedicated to helping him as he was to helping her? Also, the way she verbalizes her issues sounds too ripped off of Emma Swan from the similarly clumsy episode "The New Neverland", and what works for Emma doesn't really work for Alice.

Alice's distrust of Anastasia and dislike of working with her is also badly written, in literally every other episode the tense dynamic between these two has been handled with more care and nuance, but here Alice just comes off as a bratty child. Again, Will is missing and you need to find him quickly, so being able to put aside your differences with Anastasia maturely would go a long way in helping make that happen, Alice! Also, there's a sequence with angry peasants tying Anastasia, Alice and Cyrus to stakes to be eaten by nocturnal wolf-like creatures, and it's so thoroughly mishandled to the point of coming across as comical (Anastasia really can't fight back or escape her binding despite the skills we've seen her have before? Cyrus really thought an eloquent speech was going to instantly convince the peasants to do what he wants of them? The peasants act like they're righteous people who are getting justice against their oppressor and yet then tie two completely innocent people up for daring to go against the grain on the matter? And oh my God, those wolves look awful!)

The only good parts of the episode are the very last scene between Alice, Cyrus, Anastasia and (finally!) Will, plus all of the scenes with Jafar which lead up to the Jabberwocky's debut. Otherwise, this was a transitional episode that needed a lot of fine-tuning from its makers.

Overall - Once Upon a Time in Wonderland is now on Disney+, so if you have that streaming service and haven't watched it, please do so. It's a very well-made limited series that features a great story and great characters played by great actors, and is a definite part of OUAT in its prime. And again, when both completed shows are compared, this one wins hands-down.

[aion-rsa]

Cobra Kai Season 3: Does Young Kreese Redeem Cobra Kai’s Founding Sensei?

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This article contains Cobra Kai spoilers.

Cobra Kai season 3 revealed the backstory we didn’t know we wanted – the harrowing Vietnam experience of Cobra Kai’s biggest villain, Sensei John Kreese (Martin Kove). Cobra Kai has been on point when it comes to filling in the personal histories of their characters. The writing team of Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, and Bob Dearden have keen eyes for details and find reasonable justifications for the actions of its villains. Johnny’s (William Zabka) abusive father Sid (Ed Answer) has provided some redemption to his character’s initial villainy. But Kreese has remained villainous throughout the entire franchise. We don’t need to rehab all the villains, do we? 

Kreese’s origin tale is told across three episodes. Despite their brevity, they’re packed with clever Easter eggs for fans to find over repeated viewings and tricky red herrings that toy with fan expectations. They also give us clues to what season 4 might bring. 

Enlisting Kreese and His Son

Episode 2 “Nurture vs. Nature” begins with the grill of that iconic yellow 1947 Ford Deluxe, the very model that received Daniel’s (Ralph Macchio) wax on wax off treatment. As the car pulls into a soda shop, the driver is a cocky kid in a varsity jacket with a bullying attitude. He even says “They’re the opponent. You don’t show them mercy,” but in a quick Cobra Kai red herring, it’s not Kreese. The owner of that Ford is the first bully of the canon. Young Kreese (Barrett Carnahan) is his server who gets bullied mercilessly. 

The exquisite irony here is in the casting. Playing the Varsity Captain David is Jesse Kove, the son of actor Martin Kove. It’s a deliciously brilliant play by Cobra Kai. The first person to bully anyone in the history of the franchise and set off the chain of events that led to the formation of Kreese’s ultimate villainy is played by the actor’s son. 

The rest of the flashback scenes reveal how Young Kreese’s hard luck life became the building blocks of his character. His mother committed suicide and is branded as crazy, giving rise to the implication that Kreese may have inherited some of his mother’s mental illness. Kreese is a naturally gifted fighter. When pushed, he is able to defend himself against the Varsity Captain and his thug buddy, and steal David’s girlfriend Betsy (Emily Marie Palmer). However, with few options for advancement at the soda shop, he enlists for the Vietnam War and heads out for basic training at Monterey. He wants to be a hero.

Episode 2 has an unusually redemptive moment for the present-day Kreese. We see him do something good for a change. Kreese reaches out to Tory (Peyton List), offering her free tuition to come back to his Cobra Kai Dojo. While he’s visiting her, he picks up on the fact that she is being sexually harassed by her landlord, Rodney (Grayson Berry). Kreese returns and solves that for her in his usual Cobra Kai way, by striking first, striking hard and showing no mercy. Although recruiting Tory back into his fold serves his own selfish purposes, he does get her out of a sticky situation, but it’s not enough to redeem him entirely.

Prisoner of War

Episode 6 “King Cobra” takes Young Kreese to Vietnam in 1968, where he is pulled aside by Captain Turner (Terry Serpico) to join his special team. Serpico bears a passing resemblance to actor Anthony Michael Hall, so much so that many fans thought it was him, sparking a wave of chatter on the web and subsequent articles refuting the mistaken identity. Given the playfulness of Cobra Kai casting, perhaps Hall will have a cameo in season 4. 

Turner is the second significant bully to shape Kreese’s villainy. He instructs Young Kreese in the martial art he learned in Korea from Master Kim Sun-Yung and it’s not Karate. It’s Tang Soo Do. This resolves an issue that martial arts savvy fans have had with the series since the original films. The martial arts choreographer for The Karate Kid was Master Pat E. Johnson, who also played the Referee throughout the original trilogy. Johnson is a black belt in Tang Soo Do under Chuck Norris and well respected within the martial world. Martial arts aficionados always knew that the style propagated in the Cobra Kai Dojo was more like Tang Soo Do than Karate, so the quick clarification was welcomed. Despite this being Chuck Norris’ foundation style, most Americans don’t know enough about the martial arts to know about Tang Soo Do even today. During the era when the Cobra Kai Dojo was founded, Tang Soo Do school owners advertised Karate instead as a marketing ploy so this tiny rectification resolved a lot for martial savvy fans of the show.  

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Zabka continued to study under Johnson after the original film wrapped and that still shows in his fight scenes in Cobra Kai. And given that season 4 is headed back to the All-Valley Karate Tournament, Johnson would make for a great returning cameo.

Young Kreese pulls two of his comrades into Captain Turner’s special team, Twig (Nick Marini) and Ponytail (Seth Kemp) teasing another major cameo that fans are anticipating for season 4 – Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith), the main villain from The Karate Kid Part III. Silver was Kreese’s old war buddy and he rocked a sleezy ponytail years before Steven Seagal broke into the movies. Silver has been referenced throughout Cobra Kai, and many fans believe the phone call Kreese makes at the end of season 3 is to him, so his inclusion in Young Kreese’s Vietnam years was essential. 

Turner establishes the foundation of the Cobra Kai creed while training Kreese, Twig and Ponytail when he espouses his philosophy “No hesitation, no second thoughts and no mercy.” It’s only a short jump from that to “Strike First, Strike Hard, No Mercy.” However, their mission goes awry. Radio feedback gives away Ponytail’s position as he is laying explosives in the enemy camp and the whole team is captured. And then, shockingly, Ponytail is executed right in front of Young Kreese, Captain Turner and Twig. It’s another superb red herring. Clearly, Ponytail is not Silver. Twig is Silver.   

Twig’s parting line to Kreese is “I owe you man, you saved my ass. Anything you need, I’m there for you, your whole life. You hear me Johnny? Your whole life. I owe you.” We’re all expecting payback in season 4.

The Snake Pit of PTSD

The Kreese back story concludes in the season finale “December 19.” As Captain Turner’s special team is imprisoned in a bamboo cage, Kreese blames himself for their failure. Turner taunts him about it, deepening the psychological damage. The weight of that guilt surely drives Kreese’s psychosis. 

Their captors force Kreese to fight Turner to the death over a snake pit. Cobra Kai overplays that. There’s a lot of snakes in that pit, dozens of them, but they appear to be constrictors, not cobras. When Young Kreese kicks Turner into the pit, we can hear them striking, but constrictors don’t strike. They constrict. It’s a picky point, and it’s understandable that the show creators went for the quantity with a brimming bed of snakes for dramatic effect, but it was a heavy-handed play. A lone king cobra would have been better. King cobras are indigenous to Vietnam albeit endangered now. And a king cobra is the world’s longest venomous snake averaging 12 feet in length. The largest measured one was over 19 feet long. A cobra would strike, first and hard. 

We already know the rest of Kreese’s story. He returns from Vietnam as a hero, as well as martial arts champion, but he’s psychologically scarred. Season 3 made us understand Kreese’s motivations and justifies his character flaws, but it doesn’t absolve him. We honor our military veterans for their service and now have a better sense of post-traumatic stress disorder, but no one has the right to stand above the law, no matter how much they have sacrificed. Will Kreese finally have to answer for his wrongdoings? Or will he find peace? We’ll just have to wait for season 4 to see. 

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Cobra Kai season 3 is available on Netflix.

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