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spidernuggets · 3 months

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Jason Todd x Reader

That song "Loser Baby" from Hazbin Hotel has been on my mind ever since I watched the video, and I'm like, ooooh, prompt idea ✨️✨️

Basically, Jason and Reader are both members of the Titans, Jason's going through some shit, thinking he's alone to deal with it because the other members never cared about his problems, so Reader is there to sort of comfort him!

WARNINGS: mentions of suicide, drug use, weaponry use

Notes: Based on HBO Titans, timelines are mixed, idk how a molotov cocktail works, just go w it, unrealistic gun use

Another day, another failed mission. Why? Jason took the impulsive decision to dive in, head first, into the first danger he saw, which led them to be ambushed by other criminals. Sure, they got the majority locked up, but now the others are spread around Gotham now trying to get backup.

And like most times, when Jason messes up now and again, the members start pointing fingers while Dick was at GCPD.

"We went through the plan a million times, kid," Hank grunts. "You wait for Dick's signal!"

"Yeah, yeah! I heard you the first time," Jason spits back. He's been hearing this ever since the whole fiasco ended up until now as everyone got back to the tower. "Get off my back, will you, at least I fuckin' tried, asshole."

"And we would've completed the mission successfully if you tried after Dick gave the cue," Kory chimes in. "You need to work on your patience."

"Whatever," Jason mumbles storming back into his room.

Just as he was, you were exiting your own room, located just beside Jason's.

"Hi, Jay, how was the- oh...kay?" Just as you were greeting the young vigilante, he ignored you, slamming his door shut.

You walk into the lobby. Though you were a member of the Titans, you didn't participate often in missions. You design and create weaponry for the other members, especially Dick and Jason, as they don't have any powers. You excused yourself from joining the missions because although you knew how and when to use your mechanics best, your combat and stealth skills aren't as advanced.

You picked up this interest of building and experimenting after a few downfalls earlier in your life before Dick found you and took you in.

You grew up on the not so upper class side of Gotham City, and you were not an intentionally planned kid. Your parents made bad decisions, weren't married, and both were struggling in their own way. But your dad soon realised that it was all too much for him. He couldn't take care of himself, let alone take care of a kid, his kid. Soon enough, he reached his limit and swallowed a few too many pills.

That's when your mom went spiralling into her own depression. She smoked more cigs, snorted more coke, and drank more alcohol. And when you were old enough to comprehend the profanity she spat at you, she figured that you were smart enough to live life on your own. So she kicked you out. Later that night, when you came back, just to double check if your mom was just on a high and didn't mean what she said, she was gone. The only evidence to prove she was there were the smashed bourbon bottles and and cigarette butts scattered across the floor.

You sat yourself on the couch, legs tucked into your chest as you wrapped your arms to secure them in place and waited patiently for your mom to come home.

But she never did.

Some bad people were after you, claiming that your mother had owed them a shit ton of money. When you told them you didn't know where she was, they said that you'd have to continue to pay back her debt. You had nowhere else to go. So every time they'd come knocking on your door, you'd bolt out through the fire escape.

You had a molotov cocktail in your hand, a little something you saw your dad do once when he was in a difficult situation such as yours. This is the first time you've tried to use it before. You're scared that saving the bottle would be a waste of time. What if you threw it and the fire just went out? What if it wouldn't have the effect you'd expect? What if it would hurt you too in the process??

You just prayed. Prayed for some sort of miracle. In your other hand, spray on deodorant that you stole from the grocery store a walk away from your apartment.

There's a recently abandoned one-story house just down the road.

Lure them there, spray the room, blow 'em up.

You repeated the plan to yourself. So many things can go wrong. You couldn't do anything but pray.

Your chest ached when you got to the building. You covered your face as you choked, inhaling the deodorant that you sprayed around the room.

"There they are!" One of the men yelled towards your direction. You waited. Just a couple seconds.

You ran out the back window as they crashed through the door. Looking back, you waited as much as you could, making sire as much of the men entered the house.

Now.

You lit the cloth on fire, using your mom's lighter, one of the things you kept, and threw it through the window. And just like that, the fire caught onto the particles of the deodorant, and as the bottle smashed to the concrete floor, the building as a whole burst into flames, the painful screams of men remaining in the house.

"Oh my god, it worked!" You said to yourself, panting as you continue to run away.

From then on, you experimented with other, easier ways to create the same kind of effect. You used scraps of metal, lead wires from lightbulbs, plus lightbulb shards to create explosives to protect you.

Soon, your knowledge of weaponry expanded. You managed to steal a gun from one of the men that were after you. You liked to know how things worked. And you liked to manipulate how they worked.

You spent your time disassembling your new gun and eventually created a new weapon of your own. You'd pretend to be too scared to use it, bad man grabs it off you, aim it at you, pulls the trigger, and boom. The bullet blows to the other end, towards their face.

Too bad luck wasn't completely on your side for long.

You screeched as you walked past an alley, your hair being grabbed and pulled by a large man. "Think you can get away from me, bitch?" A gruff voice spat.

Tears pricked the corners of your eyes, grasping as your scalp that's burning your skull. You heard the glint of a knife as the sharpness poked at your side.

"Please, please, no, please," you whispered, begging for your life to be spared.

"You better pray for a miracle, cunt," the man said, jabbing the knife into your side, then throwing you against the wall, leaving you to bleed out.

Your vision blurred and came to the conclusion that you were going to die.

That is... if some random stranger found you and decided to bring you back to what you found out to be "Titans Tower." Learning his name to be Richard 'Dick' Grayson understood you had no one to take care of you and that you were the one who caused that explosion. He also found your little gun, and the great detective saw how it's been rearranged.

When you woke up, you were in an unfamiliar area. You were bandaged up well, but you were still scared. You hissed, trying to sit up. At the same, Dick walks into the room, a trya with soup, a glass of water and a small tablet next to the glass all prepared.

Dick smiled, introducing himself and apologising for bringing you unconscious. He offered you a shelter, but also wanted to know more about you. How you ended up in the situation, who was after you, and how you managed to rearrange the gun.

He then took you under your wing, giving you your own room and even your own materials to create more weapons for yourself. These ranged from melee weapons, explosives, and hand to hand combat weapons.

Dick tried to train you in physical combat, but you admitted that no matter how hard you tried, your fighting skills won't really improve. So you offered to just create new defence weapons for the team and operate missions from the tower as the team went out.

A couple of months later, you met Jason Todd. You'd be lying if you said he wasn't attractive, and his flirtatious attitude didn't help with your attraction towards him.

You also admired how skilled he was in fighting. Fighting a person while blindfolded? Fighting two people while they're all blindfolded? You wished to be just like him. But you were too shy to talk to him.

Jason speaks before thinking, and you were scared that he'd make fun of you for being part of the Titans without knowing basic combat and stealth skills. So you avoided him as much as you could.

But your guard was down as you had your headphones on, sitting on the couch in the lobby, sketching out a design for new throwing blades that could inject a liquid into the body to knock someone out for around half an hour.

"Why do I never see you around?" A curious voice chimes. One of your headphones laid off your ear, so you flinched when you heard someone begind you.

"Uhm, I.. I don't know what you're talking about," you quietly say, not sure how to confidently talk to the attractive boy.

"You're never out on missions or in the training room. Why are you here?" He says, arms leaning on the back of the couch, face dangerously close to yours

You shrugged. "I kind of make the weapons, I guess. I got those Rs of yours to send a shock wave of electricity," you replied, trying to identify yourself.

Jason tilts his head. "So, how come I never see you around training or missions? With weapons like them, I assume you would be useful out there."

You shake your head. "Fighting isn't really my forte. And my aim is never accurate," you explain, bracing yourself for the taunts.

"Huh. Want me to teach ya?" He offers.

Your head shoots towards him. "Uhm. Thanks, but Dick already tried training me. Trust me, I'd just be wasting your time and be a pain in your ass," you say, fidgeting with the pencil in your hand, kooking away from him.

"Nah, you trust me. I can teach you way better than Dickwad can. And if you still think fighting just isn't a thing for you, we can stop."

You stare up at him for a few moments before sighing and agreeing.

Surprisingly, Jason was able to teach you the basics, but that was as far as you could learn. Nonetheless, you were grateful that Jason taught you something that you could learn. You couldn't thank him enough. In return, you designed weaponry specifically suited for his fighting style.

From then on, you and Jason developed a beautiful friendship. Unfortunately, your crush on him only grew more.

But you and Jason were always there for each other. You never ran out of stories and fun talks to chat about. And eventually, little by little, the two of you opened up about your not so different pasts.

So when Jason stormed into his room after coming back from the mission while making absolutely no contact with you, it got you worried.

"Jeez, what happened?" You say as you walk to where the other members stood.

"Jason being Jason as always," Rachel mumbles.

"Uhh, Jason was just being eager. He's been trying to solve this case for weeks," Gar tries to reason out.

"If that little shit just stuck to the plan, his case would've been solved," Hank raises his voice as Dawn tries to calm him down.

"Just be patient with him. He didn't mean it," you try to calm everyone down.

"We can't be patient with him if he himself can't be patient," Donna calls out from the fridge, grabbing a drink.

"Listen, he's been through enough already, cut him some slack," you begin to get pissed off.

"If you're referring to when he got kidnapped, that was his fault too," Rachel says, sitting down on the couch.

"You know what wasn't his fault? Drawing crosses on your mirror, Rach. And that made all of you blame him for the other shit planted in your rooms. Do you know how much that shit hurt him? And none of you didn't even apologise! So, sorry, on behalf of him, that he wanted to show he was still strong enough even after he was kidnapped and dropped from a skyscraper. But have a little decency and time to understand why he acts the way he does," you ranted, not letting anyone reply as you stormed away.

During your times spent with Jason, you didn't miss his ADHD meds lying around, and eventually, he opened up to you about his therapy talks with Leslie, and you're glad it's somewhat helping. You just wushed you would be as much helo to him.

You knocked lightly on the door. "Jay?" You called out to him. You sighed when you were met with no response. You know he didn't tell you to come in, hut you were so worried for your best friend, so you entered his room.

His rock vinyl was spinning, and you took the pin off, making the loud mhsic stop abruptly.

Staring out the window, Jason turns to you, glaring at you.

"C'mon, it's just me, Jay. You can talk to me," you say.

Jason scoffs. "Yeah, sure. Then you'd think of me like the others do," he says, his gaze returnint out the window.

"And how do they think of you, Jason?"

He shrugs. "Like a fucking loser," he croaks.

"That's because you are a loser," you deadpan. Jason's brows furrow in confusion as he looks at you once more. He honestly thought you'd start to go on a long, petty rant about you thinking otherwise.

You sighed, walking over to him, hding his hands and bring him over to his bed, sitting him down.

"I'm not gonna lie to you, Jay. Your life sucks and I don't know if it's going to get better. There's a chance that it's not. You are a loser. You're spontaneous, make dumb decisions that don't always go well. But, you know? It's not entirely your fault. Your childhood sucks, your current family sucks and most of your teammates sucks. And you're just doing your best. You may be a loser, but guess what? I am, too. I can't fight, I can make weapons, but my aim is shit. My dad died, and my drug addict mom left me. I'm always alone i the tower because everyone else is out doing cool, superhero shit. I understand your pain, Jason. That's why we tell each other the shit we've been through. Because that load might be too heavy for only ourselves to carry. But I'm sure as hell it would be light as a feather if we carry both of our problems together," you choose your words carefully, your hands remaining on his, your thumb stroking his scarred skin.

Slowly, you move your hands, shifting them to link your pinky with his while he remains silent. "Jason, I promise you. I'm always going to be here to listen. I'm always going to be here for you. To help you in any way I possibly can."

Jason doesn't verbally reply. What he does, though, is nod and lean his head against your shoulder, tightening his grip around your hands.

#jason todd #jason todd x reader #red hood #jason todd is my life #titans jason todd #dc titans #i love jason todd #jason todd titans #red hood x reader #jason todd headcanon #hbo jason todd #hbo titans

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dr3amofagame · 4 months

Note

Sixteenth Day Event Prompt:

Dream sneaks into Pogtopia to see Wilbur

woo! managed to finish this in time. kinda unedited and kinda a mess but i've missed writing these guys; i'm deeefinitely in need of more practice to get c!wilbur's voice down, but hopefully this can be the start of me writing some more fic set earlier in the timeline, LMAO.

thanks @elmhat for the awesome event!! been epic to see people's submissions and i cant wait to see this continue. ur awesome <3

c!dream meets up with c!wilbur to tell him about a change to their plans | 2.3k words

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<Dream> be there in 5

The communicator in Wilbur’s hand casts a pale glow onto the palm of his hand, the only light he has to guide him as he paces the length of the hollowed-out room; it’s dark, zombies groaning somewhere outside, the dead singing their songs, shuffling through underbrush in the belly of the forest that surrounds Pogtopia. The air is musty in their little dugout, a claustrophobic awning of stone carved into the side of a hill, well-shadowed even during the day, the darkness swallowing the wan light of the comm in his hands now. He can barely see the floor underneath him as he walks, shuffling steps forward and back, ten paces each. He presses his hand against the wall, turning to the entrance and standing still.

Phil always had a whole thing about light, Wilbur having grown up on lectures about light levels and spawn-proofing and the dangers of leaving cavities unlit while mining, had grilled him on different ways of keeping a room from becoming a death trap. Carpets, half-slabs, glass. How many times had he been warned of the danger presented by surprise creepers and dark corners?

Phil had never been much of a fan of explosions.

The main server is mostly well-lit, but the secrecy demanded by revolution effort means that the forest surrounding Pogtopia gets much darker. Not that he’s in the main ravine at the minute–with the amount of people coming and going as of late, Dream had wanted their meeting to be in a slightly more discreet location, and Wilbur had agreed. It was easy enough to slip away with Technoblade once again off to do his own thing and Tommy having run off to find Tubbo, and Wilbur had managed to arrive to the room sufficiently early before sunset to prevent himself from getting ambushed by mobs.

He slips his hand into his coat pocket. Chekov’s gun is smooth and cold against the palm of his hand, polished wood and metal. He smooths the pads of his fingers down the barrel, over the trigger. He leaves it, pulling out a half-empty pack of cigarettes instead. His lighter provides a clearer view of the room, still empty. Dream is late.

Dream is usually late, then again–it’s expected, really, with the way he runs around the server, always busy, always chasing down those plans of his, smart man that he is. Dream likes his secrets, his mystery, mask and armor all made to keep his cards close to his chest–Wilbur can hardly fault him for it, god no. Dream has what he wants, just as they all do, all of them tripping over themselves in their ambition, crabs in a bucket, the pledges to help the revolution coming from each one that jumps off of Schlatt’s sinking ship. He breathes in deep, smoke coating his lungs with tar.

“Wilbur?”

Light throws itself into the room from the entrance, rippling wildly as the fire on the end of Dream’s torch burns, casting wild shadows over his mask as he squeezes himself inside. Despite his armor, he has an uncanny knack for moving silently, cloak and hood pulled low over his head so that only the edge of the painted smile is visible. The torch is raised higher, moved left and right as Dream surveys the contents of the room around them. Wilbur smiles and tips his head towards him in greeting.

“Dream, my man. How good to see you again.”

“Wilbur…” Dream’s voice trails off. His head turns from one side to the other, making another anxious sweep of the room before refocusing on Wilbur, his hand moving to pull his hood down and then run his hand through his hair, having been pressed flat by the heavy fabric. The blank face of his mask stares back at Wilbur, tilting to the side like a confused dog as he shakes out his shoulders. “We…need to talk.”

“Well? I’m all ears.” He gestures at himself, leaning against the wall of the room. Dream turns to look over his shoulder again. His armor glimmers, the light of the runes on their surface made more obvious in the dark. He bounces on the balls of his feet, reaches up once again to tug his fingers through his hair.

“It’s important.” No shit, Wilbur almost says, because for all that Dream might think that his mask hides everything he’s thinking, he’s never quite been as guarded with his body language as he might hope; the anxiety rolling off of every jerky movement is enough to set Wilbur’s teeth on edge as it is, never mind the long silences and hesitation, but he’s not stupid enough to think that that would get him anything resembling an answer. Instead, he raises an eyebrow, smiles wider, and spits out another curling thread of smoke.

“You’re an important man. I should hope so.”

Dream pauses at that. His head does that tilt-thing again. “...alright.”

“So? What is it? Do tell.” Has Dream decided to go against him? Perhaps. His enthusiasm with regards to their plan is more unpredictable than Wilbur had expected, sometimes perfectly willing, sometimes hesitant to agree to much of anything. But he had agreed, nonetheless, had provided the TNT that Wilbur has set sprawling underneath Manberg’s main stage; cold feet, now, would be rather unprecedented. Still, it’s Dream–very little can be discounted when Dream is in the picture, Wilbur knows. He places his hands in his pockets, thumbs hooked over the edge, pistol brushing against his fingertips. “I hate to push, but the suspense is killing me.”

Dream takes another second, then reaches behind his head. Wilbur straightens where he’s standing, suddenly curious, as he removes his mask.

He’s seen Dream without it only a few times–all able to be counted on one hand, this one included. The light of the torch illuminates his face from the chin up, cast shadows highlighting the contours of his skull, the contours of his cheeks, light catching under his brows. His features are delicate in a way that still surprises him, a smattering of freckles over the nose of his bridge made visible as he raises the torch higher. Dream’s eyes are a little wide, a little bloodshot. He bites his bottom lip, blinking twice in quick succession, eyes darting over the walls and then back to Wilbur’s face.

“Schlatt called me. For a meeting earlier.”

“Schlatt?”

“He knows about the TNT.”

Wilbur blinks. “Well, fuck.”

“Look–Wilbur, look.” Dream makes a little move with his hands, shaking them out by the wrists. “It’s not–it’s not the end of. This, okay? But, he knows. I didn’t tell him. I don’t know how he found out, I don’t know if someone told him, I haven’t told anyone, but–he knows. We can still work with this.”

“Schlatt knows?” He searches Dream’s face. He seems earnest, but god knows, but what would he have to gain from lying about this, anyway? Who else could’ve told him–Tommy? Tommy might not tell Schlatt directly, but Tommy has never been good with secrets, letting anyone and everyone in on everything with an apparent inability to control his own tongue–

“--but it’s, fine. The TNT is still there, the room is still intact. I checked some of the wiring and it doesn’t look like it’s been tampered with. Wilbur, are you listening to me?”

Wilbur waves him off. “I’m listening. Just keep going.”

“I don’t think we need to change anything with the TNT. Like, Schlatt’s just one guy. And his gear is shit. If he messes with the TNT, then we’ll–we’ll figure something out, but you know, I don’t even think he even, like, knows where it all is.”

“Well, it’s kind of everywhere, so–”

“–which is my point. It’s too deep, he’s still sitting on top of a bomb. There’s nothing–there’s nothing he can do.” Dream crosses his arms in front of his chest, still worrying his lip between his teeth. “I just thought you should know.”

Schlatt knows. Schlatt knows–Wilbur paces against the wall of their room, ten paces forward and ten paces back. He crushes his cigarette underneath his boot, nails digging into his palm.

“Well, Dream? Is that all?”

Dream’s expression twists. His brows pinch together, lips pressed against each other and curling into a slight grimace, his expression giving too much away after spending so much time masked.

“There’s…one more thing.”

Wilbur scoffs. “Just spit it out, you prick.”

Dream doesn’t even react to the insult, shoulders hunching up as he begins speaking. “Look…it’s just. My plans have…changed.”

What? “I thought you just said that they didn’t?”

“Our plans are the same. It’s just–Schlatt made me, an offer.” Dream shifts from foot to foot. He swallows, throat working, his eyes still bright and wide, pupils dilated with a thin circle of green around. Wilbur stares at him. He almost looks… “He’s got something. Important. He asked me to…join him, kind of, and he’d–give it to me.”

“What?”

“It’s not–look, Wilbur. Wilbur.” Dream raises his hands, palms out, a placating motion. “It’s not what you think, but I–I had to.”

“You had to join Manberg.”

“I’m not joining Manberg!” Dream runs his hand through his hair, eyes flashing. Wilbur is suddenly very aware of the axe on his back, the heavy plates of netherite armor. Eret, the button, it was never meant to be. “Why would I join Manberg, what–”

“So what’s this? What’s this then, Dream?”

“Wilbur–”

“Because from where I’m standing, I have to say, it looks a lot like you’re betraying me.”

“I am not–”

“That’s just like you. That’s just like you, isn’t it? Good ol’ Dream, mister 1000 IQ, outsmarting everyone–well-played, man, well-played! I really must congratulate you!”

“Wilbur, can you just–”

“So what is this meeting then, Dream? Gotten cold feet, now that you’ve been discovered? You’re his little lackey now, is that it, his little lap dog–you’re gonna start another war? Put down another revolution, lead us all out to slaughter like last time, good for you, you motherfucker, is that the point of this farce? You’re here to kill me?”

“Wilbur, can you just listen to me!”

Dream’s voice is raised. Wilbur draws himself up to full height, Dream’s head craning up slightly as he crosses the room in front of him in two long strides.

“What.”

“I’m not. Joining Manberg.” Dream’s arms are crossed tightly in front of him, scowling slightly. It’s an expression not all that much unlike Tommy’s teenage petulance, a set jaw, eyes narrowed under furrowed brows. “There’s just–a peace treaty, right? I can’t just violate that. And now Schlatt knows. He’s asking for me to give him–gear.”

“Gear, like what.”

“Armor. Weapons, shields. Support in the incoming fight. You know, he’d already been paying Punz, the rest of the people in my country are already going to fight with him. And, whatever.”

Wilbur rocks back on his heels. His skin itches, feeling antsy, so he goes back to pacing. “And?”

“I meant what I said, earlier. This doesn’t change anything. The TNT is still there, we can still blow it up. It…doesn’t matter who wins the, the battle and stuff.”

Wilbur sets his shoulders, turning back to look Dream in the eye. “Really. It doesn’t matter.”

“It doesn’t! It doesn’t matter. We have an agreement, that’s still like–a thing.” Dream’s hands close into fists, then open again. “I don’t like this, okay? I don’t like Schlatt–” Wilbur scoffs, “--and I don’t exactly want to work with him. But I have to. I swear, I really have to.”

“Because, what. The treaty?”

Dream shakes his head, expression still all twisted up like he’s eaten something sour. “He’s got. A book.”

Wilbur laughs outright at that. “A book.”

“It’s–Wilbur, I swear. It’s important. I’ll, I might–I’ll–” Dream makes a frustrated sound, teeth clenched. “I have to get it.”

“So you’re going to work for Schlatt.” Fuck it. Wilbur pulls out another cigarette, lighting it as he speaks. “You’re going to be the emperor’s little guard dog.”

“I’m–”

“No, no, it makes sense. It’d be too boring for you otherwise, wouldn’t it? Not enough chaos, with everyone joining the rebellion.” He gestures with the cigarette, Dream’s eyes caught on it as it moves. “You want us all to fucking destroy ourselves, keep everyone weak, Manberg, Pogtopia–you don’t need to explain yourself, man, you’re a smart guy! Even out the playing field, join whatever team has the fewest players, keep yourself above it all. Bravo, really. Bravo.”

Dream’s jaw works, but he stays silent. Wilbur smiles at him and breathes in a long drag of smoke.

“Well, Dream. I very much appreciate our meeting together today, really. Really! This has been…enlightening. Is that all? Or do you have any other important information to tell me.”

“...I’ll come around in a few days to tell the others. About, switching sides and whatever. And–the TNT is still going off, alright? No matter what.”

Wilbur rolls his eyes. “Obviously.”

Dream stares him down, Wilbur meeting his eyes evenly. He breaks eye contact first, looking down at the floor and tossing several stacks of TNT onto the ground between them. -

“Thank you, Dream. Until next time then.”

Dream stares at him, blinks, his eyes wide and green, before he turns away. The torch disappears into his inventory as he walks to the exit of the room, silhouetted in the doorway as he presses the mask back over his face. Wilbur reaches into his pocket, draws out Chekhov’s gun, holds his arm straight in front of him, fingers wrapped around the pistol as Dream works at the straps behind his head. He keeps it held there, pointed at Dream’s back until the man slips into the night, the blurry reflection of the lit end of his cigarette vaguely visible in the dull metal.

He’s not sure how long it is before a twinge to his arm makes him slip the unloaded gun back into his pocket. He sighs. He needs to start making his way back; after all, he still needs to think of a birthday present.

#my asks !!#my writing :D #the sixteenth #<- tag for future submissions maybe?#sixteenthdayevent #c!dreambur #dreblr #hopefully . hopefully this balances out characterization well enough #my c!wilbur haterisms are leaking through but whatever ... LMAO

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hyuuukais · 3 months

Text

.・゜-: ✧ :- FICTIONAL REALITY .・゜-: ✧ :-

pairing • bang chan x fem reader

synopsis • fiction or reality? y/n preferred the former, escaping into another world, escaping her problems. so what happens when reality takes that away from her; wiping her own story-in-progress off both her laptop and beloved usb? and what happens when she opens the door in the middle of a crisis to none other then the love interest of her novel... and he's holding her usb?

warnings • general, blood/injury, yeonjun being possessive, choking

MASTERLIST | PREVIOUS | NEXT

CHAPTER SIXTEEN • DONE (1.6k)

Minho sits solemnly on his couch in dim lighting. The window is open, a light breeze moving the thin curtains ever so slightly. He has no recollection of how he got here, only that one minute he was staring into that damn mirror, and the next he was lying in his bed face down, blood trickling from his nose.

There were only a few moments for him to acknowledge the change in scenery before someone was pounding on his door, shouting his name. He hoped it would be you, but when he opened the door he was face to face with old friends.

"Wha- Hyunjin? Yeji?" He takes in their appearances, noticing the changes since the last time he'd seen them, now a couple of months ago.

Explaining what had happened was priority, sitting Minho down to reveal they'd been in and out of this other realm trying to find you after you'd left. As far as Minho knew, Yeji was the only one to know your location, but apparently that was a lie. You were smart, not telling a soul, knowing anyone could help him trace you no matter how close you'd been.

And now you were here, hugging him tightly in the doorway of his house.

"How the hell are we here?" You ask, barely containing your nerves. "I was in that place with Yeonjun and he forced me back here, but I don't know how. None of this makes sense. Why can't I just have peace? Why won't he let me forget him?"

"It's not supposed to make sense," Yeji says, closing and locking the door after Hyunjin.

You detach from Minho, confused. "What's not supposed to make sense?"

"All of this!" You flinch, and Yeji takes a deep breath to calm herself. "Whatever Yeonjun has been doing, he's messed with reality itself. Fiction has started to blend into our world. Soon enough, we're not going to be able to tell what or who is real or not."

"How are we so sure he's in control?" You think of the rooms, the bodies, the way he and you were connected.

Something isn't adding up, something else is at play here and you intend to figure out exactly what that is. Nothing has been going right and you are sick of it. Thunder claps in the distance, but you don't shrink down, you don't move. You walk right up to the damn window as rain pours down from the dark sky and you open it, feeling the drops hit your cold skin.

You are not afraid anymore.

You are angry.

"Why are you doing this?" Chan winces, trying to get to your side, but the pain radiating through his body is too much.

"If I can't have her, no one can." Yeonjun crouches, meeting Chan's eyes. "Real or not, you stole her from me, and I'm going to make you pay."

Another shot of pain goes down his body, crying out with his eyes squeezed shut. Head throbbing, remaining limbs numb, all he can do is think of you. Where are you right now? Are you safe? Is Jeongin with you? Questions and fears run through Chan's brain at the speed of light.

"Still thinking of her as you lay here dying?" Yeonjun tilts his head to the side, observing Chan's writhing body. "Interesting. She really succeeded in making you love her."

"She didn't- she didn't make me do anything," Chan grits out.

"Really? Because from what I know, that's the whole reason for your existence." Yeonjun stands, walking over to your body. He lays a gloved hand over your arm. "You don't really love her, and you could realize that if you join me in restoring the timeline. The one where she marries me and you're left behind, but you'd have control. You could love who you want, not who you were forced to."

"I would never do that," Chan breathes. "Never. Could never betray her like that. Like you."

"Betray her? She betrayed me." Yeonjun moves his hand away from you, clenching it into a fist. "You can't understand because I chose to love her, and this is how she repaid me."

"Love," Chan gasps. "Love isn't a transaction. No 'I gave you this, so you should give me that'. No wonder she left-"

A boot to the face shuts Chan up, rolling to his back. Using the hand he still has, he brings it up to his bleeding nose and mouth, lip split, and bone no doubt broken. He hisses at the contact, letting his hand drop back to his side. His breathing is constricted as Yeonjun wraps a hand around his throat, forcing him up onto his knees, breathing constricted. The only thing keeping Chan from falling back down is the strength Yeonjun uses to hold him up.

With a groan, Jeongin lifts himself out of bed. Around him is familiar; his room when he first moved in with his grandparents after the accident. The walls are bare and the bed is too small, wind whistling through the attic. He looks down, still dressed in the stark white clothing from the other realm. Head swimming, he stands up slowly, using the angled wall for support as he makes his way to the hatch. His descent is quiet, footsteps light as he passes where his grandmother must be asleep.

Everything is a hue of blue, cold and unforgiving. No photos hang on the walls like they used to, no trinkets are found in random places. Personality has been stripped from this house, only the bare minimum in its place. The stairs creak slightly under Jeongins feet, and he uses the side of each step to minimize noise. Although he isn't certain his grandmother is here, he doesn't risk it.

Outside snow falls, decorating the streets in white. Winter is beginning, roads slick with ice and the temperature dropping every day. When he exits the house, he isn't cold, even with the flakes hitting his bare skin. The streets are empty and no lights are on, eerily quiet as he walks on. Jeongin doesn't know where he plans to go, only that he needs to keep walking or something very bad will happen. He passes the café, but it isn't a café. In its place is a boarded-up building with broken windows, sadness spilling from within.

He needs to get inside.

The boards covering the door come off easily enough, a splinter or two here and there, but it doesn't hurt. His muscles don't ache from the force needed to pry them off, his back doesn't hurt from the one time he slipped backward. Behind the boards, the door is locked, but with one good kick, it comes right off the hinges.

"Stronger than I look," Jeongin mumbles, stepping over the piece of wood.

Just like his house, there's nobody and nothing here. It doesn't resemble the lively café Chan owns whatsoever, dark with a strong, musty smell lingering. Jeongin brings an arm up to his nose, feet guiding him up the staircase to the abandoned apartment above. Unlike below, this does look like Chan's, down to the chipped coffee cup left on the counter.

Down below, Jeongin can see someone staring back at him through the window. He startles, then squints at the figure, trying to recognize them but their face is blurred from the dirty glass. Wiping a spot clean, he looks down again, but they're gone.

"What...?" He places a hand on the window, scanning the empty streets for a sign of life.

Jeongin.

His head whips around to the dead apartment.

Little fox.

Something touches his neck and he looks back toward the window, backing up suddenly when he sees the large crowd of people, and right into something solid. It grabs him from behind and he struggles and yells, panic consuming him as they push him hard through the window and down, he's falling down.

Rain comes down in heavy sheets, threatening to drown you standing up as you walk out of the house and down the street. You don't know where you're going, only that it's where you need to be. Behind you, Minho calls your name, keeping a safe distance between you in your anger. The storm rages on around you as your own red, hot feelings rise the longer it takes to get to where you're going.

"It's not safe out here!" Yeji yells, jogging up to your side. "We need to get back!"

"I'm done hiding!" You stop walking, grabbing Yeji by the forearm, making her face you. "I'm done feeling small and letting him control my life when he's no longer in it! Time and reality are fucked because he can't handle rejection! Because he can't handle the fact that I'm becoming my own person again!"

Your voice is desperate, needing her to understand. "I need to be my own person again."

A beat passes before Yeji nods, wet hair plastered over her forehead falling into her eyes. You reach out to move it out of the way.

"I'll be okay." You pull her into a hug. "I'll be okay."

You let go and she's stuck to the spot watching you leave her again. Minho passes, but she places an arm on his chest to block him.

"What are you doing? She can't be alone-" Yeji shakes her head. "Yeji, let me go."

"Or what?"

Minho's jaw clenches and he feels another set of hands holding him back; Hyunjin. They won't let him go, won't let him follow you as you disappear into the night.

"You know something," he clues in, blinking.

"We have to let this happen," Hyunjin's voice is barely heard over the thunder.

●

notes • things r COOKIN!!!!!!! also! i updated the masterlist with a warning for the next chapter, so pls take a look! it wasn't planned originally otherwise the warning would have been there from the start, my apologies

taglist • @yongbbokkie @chaeryred @tenebrisirae @toplinelix @chansdoll @amaranth-writing @3rachachoo @linosjureumi @thebrownemo @tfshouldidohere @channie-143 @frogieeheart @kangaracharacha @skzswife @hopefulrascalstatesmantoad @palindrome969

TAGLIST CLOSED ^^^blue means i can't tag you

#.・゜-: ✧ :- FICTIONAL REALITY .・゜-: ✧ :-#skz #stray kids #non idol au #bang chan x reader #bang chan #bang chan x fem reader #skz fanfic #stray kids fanfic #bang chan fanfic #bang chan series

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notoriousbeb · 19 days

Text

Why is Harry Styles All Over TTPD? A Timeline

TTPD Notes Glossary

Upon much ponderation and rabbit-hole-ing I think a truly stunning chunk of tracks on this double album (18/19) are about Harry.

What will likely be my Haylor magnum opus is under the cut because it is a bit lengthy. Good luck. Or I'm sorry??

I think they both pined for each other for years (well documented amongst the Haylors).

Then she split with Joe Alwyn before she left London for the Eras Tour, but she waited to make the announcement public (probably to give him time to pack up his shit and get out of their shared house) until April 8. However, excited to be “Fresh Out the Slammer,” she reached out to Harry ASAP.

I realize I might sound like an absolute raving lunatic, but I legit think Harry was at Taylor’s Arlington, Texas, Eras Tour shows, at the end of March/beginning of April 2023, and followed her to New York City for several days.

While Harry was tied up finishing up the Asian leg of his tour until March 25, I think he came almost straight to her after that, and love-bombed the shit out of her in his excitement.

But then right before he had to leave for tour, with a stopover in LA for the Satellite video and Late Late Show shoots, he gave her some sort of pulling-away speech about taking a pause or pulling back or something, (I’d wager because of the two world tours), which she took as a total rejection, which caused her to lose it and move on to the disaster we call Matty.

Then, in June, he met Taylor Russell in London. And maybe they were just friends at first, but then Taylor Swift started messing around with Matty, and then in July she started dating Travis and it went public in September. So, I suppose at that point Harry figured, "Okay, to hell with it."

And now, somewhere in London, I imagine their shared good mate, Ed Sheeran, has a pounding headache and wishes he still drank whiskey.

I hope the truth of it all someday comes to light in a tell-all book or movie. Or, at the very least, it would be nice if some more clarity surfaces in one of their albums, or a record by Ed.

Oh, and I think Stevie Nicks, of all fucking people, knows the tea. She considers both of them “like [her] children.” She gave them both matching crescent moon necklaces. And has performed with them. And she wrote the intro poem for this record. Read that and tell me it doesn’t match the story I’ve written in my head. Stevie knows.

And now, the timeline. @foxes-that-run Also has a much more detailed 2023 timeline that I recommend.

There are, I shit you not, about a fortnight of possible days (March 29/30-April 12, 2023) where they could have been together...

March 29/30

Harry likely leaves Toyko after his March 25 show. Love on Tour doesnt start up again until May 13 in Horsens, Denmark.

March 31

Eras Tour is in Arlington, Texas, for N1. It's a rain show. She replaces "Invisible String” with "The 1." The surprise songs were "Sad Beautiful Tragic" and "Ours." Read all my notes on TTPD and go watch these two live performances again. They're...really something.

April 1

She sings "Death by a Thousand Cuts" and "Clean."

April 2

She sings "Jump then Fall" and "The Lucky One."

April 3-6

Neither of them are seen these three days.

April 7

Harry is spotted at baggage claim in Atlanta

April 9

Harry is at the Master's Golf Tournament

April 10

Maybe this is when he leaves her. Taylor goes out for drinks with Jack and Margaret. However, this was an obvious pap walk (the day she had those butterfly jeans on); were the paps maybe called to this location to lure them away from her apartment so a certain person might or might not have could arrive unnoticed after a golf tournament in Atlanta?

April 12

In the afternoon, Harry is spotted with his trusty brown duffel bag (sporting an air travel tag) leaving the gym in LA. In NYC, Taylor is pictured on the roof of Electric Lady (maybe shooting music video?) with a Gucci lion ring just like Harry's but with a green stone. I Mr not the 10th, I think this evening was when he said whatever he said that made her so sad; maybe he thought they should take a pause until their tours were over? Maybe he decided their combined spotlights were just too big to overcome? Who knows? Not me. But my nosy ass wants to know!

April 13

Eras Tour in Tampa N1. Taylor cries during “Lover" and "Champagne Problems.” People think it's about Joe. I think it's not.

April 14

Eras Tour in Tampa N2. She plays "The Great War" (performed with Aaron Dessner) and "You're On Your Own, Kid."

April 15

Eras Tour in Tampa N2. She plays "Treacherous."

April 21

Eras Tour in Houston N1. She plays "Wonderland" and "You're Not Sorry" (these choices seem…significant. In a not good way.)

April 22

N2 in Houston. She plays "A Place in This World" and "Today Was a Fairytale" (for her mom, who I am sure was being a rock for her at this trying time)

April 23

N3 in Houston. She plays "Begin Again" and "Cold as You"

April 27 and 28

Harry does shoots for the "Satellite" music video and the last episode of the Late Late Show. The scenes for the music video aren't used. In my opinion his face looks puffy on Late Late (maybe from crying?)

Eras Tour Atlanta N1 Taylor sings "The Other Side of the Door" and "Coney Island."

April 30

Eras Tour Atlanta N3 she sings "I Bet You Think About Me" and "How You Get the Girl." She cries again during “Champagne Problems."

May 5-7

Ah, the Nashville Era's Tour shows. Such fond, fond memories. She sang “Sparks Fly,” “Teardrops on My Guitar,“ "Out of the Woods,” “Fifteen” (Abigail was there, and she dedicated this one to her)," Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve” with Aaron Dessner and “Mine” (also Speak Now drop).

May 11

Dinner with Matty and Jack and Margaret at Casa Cipriani in NYC

Is it possible the villainy of Matty is that he planted the original story in The Sun that he and Taylor were dating? It ran May 3, two days before he showed up (from Asia) to the Eras Tour play with Phoebe Bridgers as the opening act in Nashville. I just always thought that was odd. Maybe he had a big fat mouth.

May 12

Eras Tour Philadelphia N1. She played “Gold Rush” and “Come Back…Be Here” (Aww, girl….)

May 13

LOT picks up again in Horsens, Denmark. He's smiling to himself all cute like during "Fine Line." Plus he played "Stockholm Syndrome" for the first time in yeeeears and looked delighted. :(

Taylor's surprise songs were “Forever & Always” and “This Love.”

May 15

Either way, she leaves Electric Lady studios with Matty in tow.

May 19

She plays "Should've Said No" and "Better Man." (Well, that's seems...not good.)

May 20

Ah, the day of the “Question…?” and “Invisible” combo. (Oh, Tay). Matty is seen entering Taylor's apartment with a big Louis bag full of what many people believe is the typewriter. I always assumed it was clothes or a synthesizer or some kind of equipment. ¯\_(ツ)_/

May 25

This is the last day she was seen with Matty (and the chorus of angels sang)

But, really, only he was seen outside her apartment leaving with his stuff. She wasn’t in town.

They were never seen together again after May 15.

May 26

Era's Tour Metlife N1. She sings “Getaway Car” with Jack Antonoff and “Maroon” (this was a very angry face Maroon).

May 27

Metlife N2. She sings “Holy Ground” and “False God," and cries.

June 22

Taylor records “The Black Dog” at Electric Lady. “Six weeks of breathing clean air,” if we’re being specific here (although she was touring and it could have just sounded good) would be May 11, 2023.

August 13

Stevie Nicks owns the opening poem for the album.

#haylor #have i lost the plot?#i really don't think i have

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calliopefiction · 2 months

Note

Do you have any advice or reasources about writing the plot part of interactive fiction? Like how to write and manage the different options and paths the plot might follow?

I'm not sure how helpful it'll be, but I can at least tell you how I am doing it. I'm sure there's apps or programs out there that can keep track of non-linear stories, but I just do it the old fashioned way by keeping track of everything in a notebook. Here's some general tips I can give:

You need to know where the story is going ahead of time, because going back and changing anything is a huge pain. Especially when it comes to tracking variables.

Track everything with a variable, even if you don't know whether it'll be relevant again later. Example: MC visited Thianne at her place: <> If you forget something like that, you'll be screwed later down the line when you realise that some MCs will already know what her place looks like and some will see it for the first time, so obviously the scene has to reflect that.

On that topic, make a list somewhere with all of the variables, where you first used them, and what you set them to. The worst thing is knowing you did something somewhere, but not remembering where and what you called it.

Keep track of which character knows what in which variation of the story. Writing interactive fiction is like writing a multiverse with different timelines that all happen simultaneously. That's what's most like going to mess up your plot - losing track of which timeline you're on.

Even with branching paths, you need to have points where they converge again. If you don't, you'll end up with dozens of different endings, and while that would be awesome, it's not at all realistic to write that many.

Rather, only very major decisions should actually create an entirely separate branch. For example, while all choices matter, the ones that fundamentally change the plot all boil down to one of three paths: humanity, the fae, or both/neither. Those are the three major options, and everything else is a variation within that framework. Coupled with the five romance options, we will end up with 15 endings, which is already a lot.

Don't hesitate to leave questions unanswered in certain routes. If you support humanity and romance Az'Lean, you'll miss out on a lot of information about the fae, for instance.

Get in the mindset that you are actually writing multiple stories that share common elements and not one story that has branches and variations. If you do that, you will be able to follow through on things like foreshadowing and character development.

Since a non-linear story has an added layer of complexity, you have to make concessions somewhere else. Limit your side characters, subplots, locations, etc. to what you really need.

#misplaced #misplaced if #interactive fiction #twine #if

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thoughtsandbones · 11 months

Text

Bubbling to the surface, slowly but surely.

Simon 'Ghost' Riley x F!MedicDoc OC (codename: Blue) 💀💙

WARNINGS: Mention of profanity, fluff, medical inaccuracies and just getting the POV of our friendly neighbourhood masked menace.

Plot: Doctor Ruhari Hari Kaur (OC is South Asian ☺️) joins the 141 again, but this time as their doctor. After the betrayal of Shepherd and Graves, Task Force 141 begins their hunt on his whereabouts and locating Makarov.

PLEASE reblog and like! Hope folks are enjoying the series, I am building up characters and plots, cos I have a lot ideas and just been enjoying writing :D

Song inspo: 99 luftballons - Nena, Moves - Milo Greene,

Word count: 2K...

A/N: Flashbacks are getting messed up when I am indenting them and I am getting lots of errors when publishing the work, please bare with some mistakes and spelling issues.

I grew up with the OG MW2 game, so there are some references to the old one, so kind of a mix of both the OG and the new timeline... (Also I'm ignoring the OG Shepherd betrayal and keeping in line the one with the new timeline..)

spelling and some grammar mistakes as I am bad at times... :/

(FYI: bold sentences... that are like this... are supposed to describe redacted data/info to the plot... ;] .. )

Please do let me know how you all are finding this fanfic! :D

PART 1, PART 2, PART 3, PART 4, PART 5, PART 6, PART 7, PART 8, PART 9, PART 10 and PART 11

Part 12

Price waved over at a blonde woman who was walking off a helicopter, carrying a small overnight bag over her shoulder and a laptop bag in her right hand. As she approached Price, she raised her sunglasses to the top of her head.

"Great to see you John" Kate Laswell says shaking hands with Price

"Good to see you too Kate" He responds shaking her hand and then giving her a pat on the shoulder.

"We've got a lot of work to do in locating Makarov." Laswell says as she followed Price up to his office.

"Understood, no leads on Shepherd?" Price asked, bracing himself for the answer he already knows

"Nothing." Laswell says, look at Price dead in the eye. "Whatever he's done to disappear, he's done it well." She adds

Price gruffs

"When is the mission brief?" Laswell asks Price, moving to sit down on the sofa, Price follows her move.

"Hour from now." Price says checking his watch. "Need to talk to you about somethin'" He adds leaning close to Laswell

"Uh oh, I know that look" Laswell smirks

"Our new doctor, Hari, she went on the mission to Siberia with Captain MacAlasdair" Price whispers

Kate leaned back, taking in this new information. Not much was known at what happened there...

"If it was the mission to track down intel from that satellite, that could hopefully tell us what Shepherd hid." Price said

"And where he could be" Laswell continued. "Have you asked her?" She added

"No, she needs time to settle in. But she has been thinking about the Captain" Price says

"How is she in the field?" Laswell asks

"Not been in the field, but has the capability" Price said

"She's not operating on this mission?" She asks

"No, too new and she's actually been fixing up the infirmary" Price responded

"Ah, someone capable of actually mending you all when you're broken?" Laswell laughed

"Shall see after this mission" Price chuckled "Cup of tea? he adds

"Of course" Laswell smiles

Mission brief

Price headed to the infirmary, as he approached the open door, he could here the rapid typing coming from inside, he stood in the doorway and looked at you, concentrating on the laptop, eyes narrowed, muttering to yourself.

"How were the health checks?" Price said

You look up and slightly smile.

"Good, all med-kits are checked and ready, everyone is good..." You trail off.

Ghost's blood pressure... You contemplate whether or not to tell him.

"Yeah?" Price exclaims

"Yes, all good" You say, snapping back from your thoughts.

"Briefing time?" You assume, as Price stares at you. You finish off the last part of the report, and click save. You look up and he nods

"Yes, sort of, Kate Laswell wants to meet you" Price says, giving you a smile

A smile appears on your face.. "Okay, I'll come now" you say saving your reports and locking your laptop.

Getting up, you follow Price, going up the stairs until you reach the 5th level. You've never been here before..

Prices opens a glass door and gestures you to walk in. Doing so you see a slim blonde hair lady wearing a pantsuit, you looks up at you a smiles. You scan to your left and notice Lieutenant Ghost also in the room leaning back on a chair.

"Dr Kaur, nice to meet you" Laswell says, coming up and shaking your hand.

"Nice to meet you ma'am" You say, Laswell laughs

"Call me Laswell, please" she says heading back to her laptop. You take a seat two spaced away from Ghost, he looked at you and nodded, you nodded back. Price sits opposite you.

"I've spoken to Kate about getting you on our next mission, you'll need to get trained up" Price starts

You lean forward and listen and nod along his words. "Yes sir"

"Ghost will be overseeing your training" Price says, awaiting your reaction, he watches you look over at him.

"As long as that's okay with the Lieutenant" You say

"'Course it is" Ghost said, looking over at you, your eyebrows burrowed as if you were still unsure of him.

"That's settled then" Price says smiling at Laswell, Ghost and then you.

At that moment Soap and Gaz walk into the briefing room, Gaz sits next to Price, and Soap sits besides you, giving you a nod.

"Alrigh' Doc?" Soap says grinning slightly

"All good" You say, tilting your head back, knowing exactly why he is grinning trying not to think of his naked torso. But you can't help yourself, Soap's naked torso flashes in your mind.

You bite the inside of your lip, trying your hardest not to smile, but you feel your cheeks go pink. In the corner of your eye you see Ghost staring at you, looking down at your left wrist, you note the second hand moving past the number 2 on the dials.

How many seconds will it be this time Lieutenant? You think to yourself as you look forward to Kate who has begun her briefing, but you angled your head slightly more to Ghost who was still looking at you.

You look down briefly at the second hand on the watch, 30 seconds...

C'mon Lt can we make to over a minute You think as you look back up.

Laswell begins explaining about how the team will be dropped into Urzikstan, and then will make their way on foot to Al Mazrah to try an intercept an arms deal with AQ and Russian Ultranationalists.

You see you Ghost break eye contact with you when Laswell click on her laptop and the slide appears of a map of Urzikstan and Al Mazarah. Looking back on your watch, 58 seconds.. not bad...

There was a line in red across the map highlighting their route. Laswell changes the slide. A picture of a their guy they're after appears, brown black spiky hair, blue eyes and he had a snark expression on his face. Under the image, was his name V. Makarov

Your eyes widen and lips part slightly.. Could it be the same person? The image of the a Fire Disk flashes in your head with the name Vladimir Alexei Makarov in black marker on it.

Eye flickering between Laswell and Price as she continues to talk about the briefing, Price chiming in every so often.

No... Yes.. maybe.. It doesn't hurt to ask. You fret in your head, you feel your heart rate increasing.. That would mean talking about Siberia..

You left hand reaches up slightly, Price takes note

"Got a question?" Price asks

You look at him and then Laswell who stopped talking, all eyes and bodies shifted towards you.

"Is that Vladimir Alexei Makarov?" You say slowly

Laswell and Price both look at each other.

"That is one of his aliases" Laswell says

"You know him?" Price asks, eyes widening greatly

"No, just..." You trail off " What do you know of Siberia 2010?" You add looking at Price and leaning closer in the chair.

Ghost looks up straight at you, along with Soap and Gaz. Is this finally it? he ponders and looks at Price then back you.

"Apart from Captain MacAlasdair's death, nothing" Price said, eagerly awaiting you to open up about a mission that he knew little about. He sensed your hesitation and a sudden fear coming across your face.

You take in your Captain's name. The fact he died and you could've saved him.

"Shepherd blacked out the report then?" You scoffed

Ghost looks at you, your eyes now looking down at your fingers nails.

"7 words on the report. 2 pages." Ghost said monotonously

You look up at him in shock, eyes narrowing.

"No witness report?" You say, raising your voice slightly.

Ghost shook his head

"Bastard" You hiss

"Hari, tell us what was the mission?" Price said slowly, and gave you a reassuring look

Looking at Laswell who had now sat down, and nodded towards you, giving a slight smile of encouragement.

"The Allen-Hibino satellite had intel that contained military weapons advancements from a Japanese and American coalition from the 1990s to 2009" You said

"Allen-Hibino?" Laswell says bringing her laptop closer to her and taking out the cable that linked to the projector. The slide read loss of signal and she began typing away on her laptop.

"Yes, it was supposed to have re-entered in the Pacific near Japan, but ended up further down somewhere and the Russians got to it" You say.

"Nothing about the mission on the Gusev satellite?" Price asks

Looking back him with a confused face, eyebrows joining closer together.

"You knew there was a satellite?" You ask, wondering what he actually knew about the mission.

Price leaned back a bit, raising his left hand

"Kate and I found out that Makarov has been interested in satellite parts that crash landed in the early 2000s and that the Russian military had it in an undisclosed base in Siberia" Price said "We thought it could be related to the Siberia 2010 mission" He added

Ghost turned and looked at Price. He thought he knew everything there was to know about Makarov and this mission. He then turned to you, taking in that stern face, but your eyes, they told another story. You were full of regret and pain that comes along with relieving that moment of knowing you could've done more he thought.

"We were only told about the Allen-Hibino satellite" You croke, a pit forming on your throat.

Ghost looked on at you, watching you try and remain calm.

"CIA reports the Allen-Hibino hitting its target re-entry point and taken for decomission." Laswell says, stunned at the report staring in front of her. Fully fabricated.

"Shepherd" Price snarls, crunching his fist tight

A heaviness that had been planted in your inner being since you chose not to take that damn shot grew and your felt your insides become tighter.

"How deep does his betrayal go?" Gaz spits out, you look at him and see his face scrunched up in anger, he looks at you and his face softens. You divert you gaze down.

"He's got the intel" you whisper not looking at Price, but you could feel his and everyone else's gaze on you.

"It's not your fault" Laswell says. "I worked directly with him." She said

"Does this change our upcoming mission?" Soap says, curious as to how this new intel, well, resurfaced intel, could effect what could happen next.

"Not really." Price says looking at Laswell

"We still go ahead, but our next mission will be different" Laswell speaks up and then looks at you "Dr Kaur, when we can, I want to talk to you about Siberia."

"Kate, I don't thin-" Price starts as he looks at her and then at you.

"I don't remember much after Captain MacAlasdair and I were compromised" You say bluntly "There's a 5 page witness report missing or destroyed that detailed what happened" You add

You look down at your nails again, picking at the skin around the edge of your nail on your forefinger with your thumb.

"I've tried to remember, but then I -" You stumble. Inhale for four, holding for four and then out for four... That does it. You clear your throat, still feeling all eyes on you, you continue to look down at the table.

"I understand" Laswell says, finally accepting your defeated demeanour. She clears a throat and plugs the cable back in, the slide resumes.

You look and see Price looking at you, he gives you a sympathetic smile before looking at Laswell who was

"Alright this mission on Urzikstan is reliant heavily on Farrah's forces..." Price starts.

You hear him talk and go on, but a high pitched ringing enters your left ear again, making you feel light-headed. Drowning out the voices surrounding you, you concentrate on your breathing, in for four, hold for four and exhale for four.

Watching the minutes go by on your watch, the meeting was soon over, Price held you back as Laswell, Ghost, Soap and Gaz left the room.

Ghost watched you remain stoic, as he got up from his chair, his casual glances hoping there was some change in expression, but nothing. He felt a sharp pain in his chest, he wanted that silly face to appear again that you did when you were teasing him, throwing up the jazz hands. A small remnant of your past self. He closed the door behind him and followed Soap.

"You alright?" Price sighed, leaning closer to you despite the clear table being barrier.

Looking up at his face and you clear your throat, trying to get rid of the feeling of the lump.

"Yeah, yeah" You said

"Look, it's hard revisiting the past" Price begins "But, I- we- are here for you, but you have to be honest" Price finishes, he lets you make it your turn to talk.

"Yes sir, I understand" You say, trying not to sound to blunt but keep a level of strength about you.

Price looks on at you. He understood how hard it would be for you the go back rethink about a moment that made you leave this life. Even more difficult now that the weasel who sent you, all of them, on these missions and had good people die for the benefit of him and his agenda.

"Captain Price, I will try and to remember" You say, forcing yourself to give him a smile, but you knew he could see right through you.

"Hari, I will be by your side, as will the rest of the team" Price says getting up from his chair and walking over to you. He sits on the chair once occupied by Soap and put his hand on your left shoulder.

"Survivors guilt is hard, I know" Price said, his hand gripping your shoulder a bit tighter, somehow trying to let you know that you can't blame yourself.

Yet it was. I should've taken the shot

Price gives you another pep talk, and you reply simply with a yes sir, of course sir... Leaving the meeting room, you head back down to the infirmary.

Siberia.

Take it slow, take your time, no rush you pander to yourself as you let yourself back int he infirmary, you leave the door slightly open and head back to finish the reports.

After about hour of work you give up. Instead you turn your chair to the right slightly, placing your feet up on the edge of the desk and begin the gaze as the Sun descends to the horizon, embracing the myriad of colours made in the sky.

....

Ghost walked into his room and sat on the edge of his bed, taking off his mask, and placing it on his bedside table. Running his hands through his hair, he could feel the grease sliding across his fingertips. As his fingers reached the back of his neck, Simon gently fell back on his bed.

Closing his eyes, he went through a check list of things he and the team needed to do before the mission. His mind then ran through what each task Soap and Gaz needed to do. Then you.

Simon felt that same tinge of pain hit his chest and then ripple through his body again. You were so deadpanned.

Guilt had been bubbling up within him. Each time he was alone with you he had the opportunity to expose himself to you. But he was apprehensive.

Training with her again will be interestin' he thought Maybe you'd recognise somethin' and you'd figure it out during trainin'

Simon rolled his eyes That's fuckin' stupid

Johnny was right, he can't keep it up for long. It'll eventually catch -There was a knock on his bedroom door suddenly.

"Just a minute" He gruffled loudly, rolling over to his side and finding his mask, putting it on. He got up and headed to his door.

There you were, standing a few paces back..

"Lieutenant, have you taken your tablet?" You ask

Ghost had forgotten about the small pill you gave that was his in pocket, his brought up hand up and fidgeted around his pocket until he found it.

"Sorry doc, forgot" He adds. Did you just come up to check if I'd taken my medicine

"Ah, good!" You say smiling. Ghost was taken aback a bit.

"Are you free then?" You ask, smiling slightly again

"Yeah" Ghost said clearing throat of coarseness

"Want to see something cool?" You ask

Ghost narrowed his eyes slightly and checked his was 21:10pm, what would you be showing him?

"Sure.." He said slowly and stepped forward, you stepped back and turned.

He followed as you walked away, he locked his door and then caught up to you in a few short strides. He led you into the infirmary, the lights were off..

You head over to the window and look back and see Ghost was standing in the doorway, as he always seems to do.

"Come over here" You say gesturing towards him. Ghost walked over to you by the window. He notices the flood lights lighting part of the ground of base, he scans the sky, orange mixed in with blue. He turns to look at you, still confused as to what you were showing him

"Do you see it in the sky?" You say nodding your head up a bit. Ghost looks up and sees a single bright speck shining in the orange-blue hue.

"That star?" He asks and looks back down at you

"That's not actually a star, that's the planet Venus" You smile, looking up at the planet again

"That's a planet?" Ghost says, his eyes drift back from you to the planet again. "Venus, like that Roman goddess?"

"Yeah, named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty" You explain "But what they didn't know was that it's atmosphere is so deadly and has volatile volcanos"

"It's so bright" Ghost says entranced by the brightness of the planet in the night sky. The longer he looked, the less he felt troubled, he felt how small his and the world's problems were. For the first time, in a long time, he felt small.

"Second brightest object in the night sky." You say, "Mood is just on the other side of the building"

Ghost looks down at you again, you continue to look up at the planet, smiling. You looked so happier, he savoured the smile on your face.

Always were a nerd, glad you're still a nerd he thought as he remembered how you once said you loved those Star Trek films and shows, and the idea of exploring space.

A soft ping rang through his chest, giving his body a nice warmth, he felt the corner of his lips curve up, he could feel the little dimple form on his right cheek. He looked back at Venus, so far away and so calming.

"Lieutenant, can I ask you something?" You say turning your head to him, Ghost looks back at you

"Sure" He says

You take inhale sharply here we go

"Did you know about Siberia?" You say.

Ghost took in your expression of concern, your eyes glistened against the dim light coming in from the remnants of the sun but mostly from the floodlights.

"I knew there was a mission to Siberia with the Captain, didn't know what the details of the mission were."

He watches as you take in the information and nod, face going stoic again.

"You said the report had 7 words" You ask him

"Yeah, no witness report attached to the file" He gruffed

"Foul play" You mumble

Ghost grunted in agreement and looked back out of the window. Both of you standing there, looking out the window at Venus, 108.28 million km away from you both, yet still managed to capture them with it's burning beauty.

In the corner of his eye, Ghost looked down at you, still looking up. He enjoyed the quietness with you, both of you alone together in the silence... It was strangely comforting for him.

You looked up to Ghost and smiled, it was nice sharing quietness with him. He looked down at you, locking his blue eyes with your brown eyes. There was still a sense of familiarity hidden within his eyes, like you've gazed upon those eyes eons ago... Narrowing your eyes, you wished you could remember, but the black paint coated on his skin made it difficult to see any distinguishable moles or markings.

Whomever you are, you do not want to be known.

Checking your watch you release it nearly 10pm.

"You should take your tablet and sleep" You say reminding him

"Yeah, should head back" Ghost says, grunting slightly "Training tomorrow, what time are you free?"

"6am?" You say

"Hold ya to tha'" He says he takes out the pill from his pocket, takes it out the packet, and then you move over the the water tank and grab him a cup of water. He takes it from you and takes the pill.

"Need to check your blood pressure at some point tomorrow sir" You add

He nods at you as he swallows some more water. "'Course doc" He says. You both leave the infirmary, Ghost watches you lock up.

"Have a good sleep" You say to him "Good night" You say smiling

"Goo' Nigh'" Ghost says, turning to walk back to his room.

You return to your own quarters. Lying flat on the bed, sighing heavily.

The ringing in your left ear starts again, the lightheadedness wafts over you and you hear faint yelling in the back of your head.

"Get the disk and get out Blue" Captain MacAlasdair echos from your left ear into your skull.

Shivers of sweat swell from your glands on your skin, bringing your knees close to your stomach you hug yourself, trying to soothe yourself.

"Get the disk and get out Blue"

#modern warfare fanfiction #simon ghost riley x doctor #simon ghost riley x medic #simon ghost riley #angst #fan fic ideas #cod fanfic #cod mw soap #cod fluff #cod ghost #ghost mw2 #simon ghost riley x reader #simon ghost riley x oc #simon riley #x oc #simon ghost riley x original character #simon ghost riley x female oc

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rebel-walnut · 1 year

Text

Let's Do The Time Warp Again

Steddie Season 3 time travel fic, Part 4

Ao3, Pt. 1, Pt.2, Pt.3

"Tell me again."

Dustin is sitting in the corner booth of Scoops Ahoy wearing the dorkiest summer camp getup Eddie has ever seen. Steve is sitting across from him with Robin standing slightly off to the side, Eddie trailing farther back near the door where the sign is still flipped to closed.

Steve has just finished giving Dustin the rough outline of hey I'm actually from a year in the future and so is that weird guy with the long hair and we're totally superly and utterly fucked and should probably get back so we can stop messing with the timeline, even though we were maybe about to die in our own timeline. Or something along those lines. This is the third time Dustin has asked Steve to explain it again.

Steve drags his hands down his face and clasps them under his chin, staring Dustin down. "I told you everything I know, man. We finished off Vecna, or at least I thought we did, I heard the bell chimes in 1986 and then the earth opened up and I woke up in 1895,"

Dustin scrunches up his nose. "Yeah I got that, but what specifically happened before you woke up?"

Steve's face screws up into a look of total concentration before he spins in his seat to peer over the back of the booth at Eddie. "I… can't remember. Eddie, what do you remember before you woke up at the record store?"

Eddie's hands automatically come to the phantom bites and tears at his sides as he pushes back the rising sense of fear that's latching in his throat.

"I remember dying. The bats all fell to the ground, but it was already too late for me. I remember Henderson came to me, and then I think it was you, Harrington," All eyes in the room are trained intently on Eddie as he pauses. He swallows.

"And then, I think those vines started opening. I'm pretty sure someone was carrying me, but the ground went all red like the gate in the trailer. I think I blacked out after that- pain or death I'm not sure- but then I was alive a year ago behind the counter of Hot Wax. Jury's still out whether it's a blessing or a curse."

Steve's mouth opens with a small gasp that's barely audible while his eyes light up in recognition. The weight of his awed stare is too much to handle, Eddie redirecting his gaze to the very interesting plain tile of the shop and toeing his sneaker at the cracks between them.

"I was the one carrying you when we fell into the gate."

Eddie's gaze snaps back up.

"What?" He says at the same time Dustin yells, "That's it!" While smacking his hands down on the table.

"Wait, wait, wait," Steve's attention turns back to Eddie, "We fell through the gate together? And you were carrying me?"

Steve nods, "Bridal style."

"'Bridal style,' Jesus H. Christ-" Of fucking course the one time Steve Harrington would ever be holding Eddie is when he's too dead to notice it- bridal style no less.

"So that makes sense why you're here together then," Dustin adds, butting back into the conversation. "I just don't get why it sent you here though, I mean based on how those gates have worked in the past, you should have just popped out on the right side up. Definitely not a year ago and at a different location altogether."

Dustin is getting that look on his face that Eddie only sees during D&D combat, the face that says he's already analyzing every possible outcome and weighing every possible pro and con. "Do you think every gate has the ability to work that way or just the one you two fell through?" Dustin is staring expectantly at Steve and Eddie despite the fact that they have just as much information about the upside down as Dustin has. Actually-

"Time works differently in the upside down, remember? Wheeler's journal stopping when the Byers kid went missing?" Eddie's eyes are jumping between Steve and Dustin, both of them scrunching their noses then returning their gaze to the table in an honestly adorable mirror of each other. Robin, meanwhile, continues to stare at the three like they've lost their minds.

"But why stop time when Will went missing?" Dustin directs this one towards Eddie with a slight hesitation that hits Eddie right in the chest- he keeps having to remind himself that this kid doesn't know him yet. Eddie steels himself with a hard swallow.

"Maybe he was the first thing from the outside world to get to the upside down," Steve's eyes lock into Eddie. "It's not a huge jump from stopping time to warping time, especially since those gates totally have some supernatural voodoo going on."

Robin steps forward from her place resting against an adjacent booth to lean in between Steve and Dustin, her knees not stilling their shake as she ducks her head conspiratorially. "So you losers are telling me-"

"Hey!" Dustin's screeching is apparently exactly the same in '86 as it was in '85.

"-that this hell-dimension not only exists, contains monsters -and mind controlling ones at that!- but can also manipulate time?" Robin's eyes grow impossibly larger as she stares between all three of them.

Eddie comes up behind the corner booth and drops his hands onto Steve's shoulders, the sudden weight causing a jolt up Steve's spine as he turns to meet Eddie's eyes. "Precisely, Miss Buckley. However, Harrington over here luckily has done this before. I suggest we use him to make a timeline of everything that happened so we know exactly what we're up against. Then we go back -or I guess, forward- in time and fix this shit," He shoots a winning grin at Steve before giving a quick squeeze to his shoulders and letting go.

Steve looks away with a cough before stammering back at Robin, "Um- yeah, he's right. Grab the 'you suck' board," Robin squints her eyes as she looks between Steve and Eddie, slowly backing away from the booth to head to the back room.

Eddie slides into the seat next to Steve, throwing an arm around him and jostling his shoulder in an overdramatic show of comfort. "Don't worry Harrington, we'll be back to our regularly scheduled deaths a year from now very shortly," Steve grimaces.

"Crazy, that's kind of what I'm worried about," Eddie squeezes his shoulder again as Robin returns with a whiteboard covered in tallies, all of them falling to one side under the title declaring 'YOU SUCK.'

Robin catches his smirk, "It's to keep track of all the times Steve has failed to hit on women in the shop," Eddie's cackle gets Steve to fully turn to Robin.

"I'll have you know I'm a changed man, Robin."

"Oh yeah, Steve?" Dustin's shit eating grin is as bright as ever. "You got a girlfriend in '86 we don't know about?" Eddie's snort is all the confirmation Dustin needs to laugh in the face of Steve's love life.

"If you count telling Wheeler about his '6 kids and a Winnebago' dream then maybe-" Eddie's laughter is stifled by Steve's sharp elbow in his ribs.

"You heard that?!" The horror in Steve's eyes is priceless.

"Hard to ignore your huge ass heart eyes when there's like eight of us crammed up in your suburban-wet-dream-mobile-" Steve clamps a hand over Eddie's mouth, fingers digging into the side of his cheek.

"Shut up," Steve says all low and probably unintentionally sultry, but Eddie sees the smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. And oh man, it's taking everything Eddie has not to close his eyes and replay the last ten seconds under totally different circumstances. He's sure his cheeks are flushed to hell, but he can't tell if it's his own delusions or the heat that's painting Steve's cheeks a similar shade of pink.

The alarm on Steve's watch goes off, causing him to pull his hand back and stare at the small screen. "Shit, lunch rush."

Robin glances up through the window to the rest of the mall, then back at Steve. "We can't stay closed during lunch. Being a bit low on sales today is one thing, but Nate will definitely notice if there's nothing in the till," Steve nods, making a shooing motion at Eddie so he can leave the booth. Steve goes to unlock the door and flip the sign back to open, before throwing a considering look at Eddie.

"Don't you have a job you're supposed to be at now?"

Eddie waves him off. "More pressing matters at play right now, don't you think?"

Steve's brow furrows in the way Eddie is becoming increasingly more familiar with. "Yeah, but we don't know how long we'll be stuck here for. Better to mess with things as little as possible in case there's bigger repercussions than we think," And that, well Eddie can't argue with actual logic and reasoning as much as he would like to.

"Fine, I'll go grovel to my manager about food poisoning or some shit," he brushes past Steve as he opens the door, triggering the small bell hanging from the frame. "Don't miss me too much, Harrington," Eddie gives him a small salute as he leaves, and if he leans in a bit too close to Steve's face to see if he blushes that beautiful shade of pink again (he does), that's nobody's business but his.

Thirteen minutes, a very cool yet annoyed manager named Sherrie, and an exceedingly long-winded story about how Eddie was 'just really going to shit my pants if I don't leave like right now, or maybe I'll vomit, or maybe both' later, Eddie was skipping back into the cool air of Scoops Ahoy.

Steve and Robin were situated behind the counter at the front with Dustin still taking up the whole corner booth to himself, slinging ice cream for various ungrateful children and middle aged parents alike. A surprisingly long line has formed in the short time it took Eddie to lie to Sherrie's face, and as bad as he felt about it, seeing Steve goddamn Harrington twirl his ice cream scooper around and dole out charm left and right in those ridiculously short shorts made it all worth it.

Robin catches his eye as the bell announces his arrival, a Cheshire cat smile crawling across her features while she finishes serving a group of middle schoolers. Eddie's stomach drops as she shoots him a wink over her shoulder while she bustles into the back room, coming out only a moment later with the worst possible solution to their problems.

"We need Steve to write out the timeline, and I don't know if you noticed, but we also currently need two people scooping," Eddie blanches as her sly grin grows somehow wider. He catches Steve smirking while Robin shakes the fabric in her hand in Eddie's direction.

"No, absolutely not," Eddie says while Steve meets his eyes through his lashes, face still turned down towards the freezer. Eddie stills just long enough for Robin to huck the folded set in his direction, smacking him in the face and falling into his hands. "Make Henderson do it."

"He's a child."

"So? What's a little child labor for the fate of the universe?" Steve snorts as he hands a cone into a greedy child's hands while Eddie thumbs the abrasive cloth in his hands. "I'll be ridiculed."

"Oh come on, if we can do it, so can you. Now get changed, Munson. Or should I say, sailor," Robin Buckley will be the death of him, Eddie's calling it right now. She comes around to lead him by the shoulders into the back room, leaving mock soothing pats along his arms.

"Oh- one more thing," She gives him one last shove into the back room before crossing her arms, "That's Steve's spare uniform, we each have one. Just so you know. Or, you can wear mine if you want…"

Eddie's sure his cheeks are flushing for the millionth time today. He blubbers like a fish as he tries to meet Robin's knowing eyes before stammering out a quick, "No, this is fine."

Robin closes the door with a grin and a nod, leaving Eddie to slump down onto the dinky table. He thumbs over the garish blue and red fabric before he finds a small red and yellow embroidered patch that says 'Steve' across the chest with a small anchor on the edge. Fucking of course.

His head snaps up to the sound of the sliding window opening as Steve himself folds his arms across the ledge.

"One more thing for your uniform, and trust me, it's completely mandatory," The teasing lilt to Steve's voice causes Eddie's eyebrow to quirk up as he sets the uniform (costume) down next to him. In one swift motion, Steve swipes the sailor hat -that Eddie is just now noticing he put back on- off his head and tosses through the window, landing lightly in Eddie's palms.

"Welcome aboard, Munson," Steve says with a wink, sliding the window shut again and leaving Eddie with a terrible costume and a list of things to try not to think about.

_____

TAG LIST (reply to be added): @estrellami-1 @melodymeddler @songbird-garden @gregre369 @croatoan-like-its-hot @messrs-weasley @bestwifehaver @mediguro @goodolefashionedloverboi @huniiibee @rhyswritesreadsandcries @i-have-three-feelings @mightbeasleep @grtwdsmwhr @hirikka @starlight-archer @clumsiluni

#steddie #steddie au #steddie fanfiction #steddie fic #steddie ficlet #steddie fanfic #steve harrington #eddie munson #eddie x steve #steve x eddie #stranger things #shovel writes

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sirthisisa-wendys · 1 year

Note

Sorry about that! I requested the Rindou getting caught! Maybe by like Sanzu and/or Ran?

Oooh this is a great angst smut prompt mmkay finally gettin' around to this....

Scratched Up: Sanzu Haruchiyo & Rindou Haitani x Fem!Reader

wc: 602

tw: smut, angst, Kanto Manji timeline

masterlist

Please leave a voicemail message after the tone. When you are finished--

Straight to voicemail. Again. Sanzu grips the steering wheel of the car and grunts, biting the inside of his left cheek. If anything, this reaffirmed his feeling since the beginning of this month. You were growing distant, it seemed.

Hours would pass by before a text was answered.

You wouldn't return his calls at all.

You even ignored his invitation to go out and party until the morning after.

So what were you doing?

Or... who were you doing?

Sanzu drives lazily, willing himself to obey the traffic laws for once. It isn't like him, but how you make him feel fuels his desire to walk the straight and narrow path for all of twenty minutes. Maybe this would encourage him to stop doing illicit substances. Or clean up his act and quit posing as a "valuable gang member" to Kanto Manji.

"VIP, my ass," Sanzu growls, lighting the cigarette in his hands and inhaling deeply. He makes it to the apartment before the cigarette is gone, but even that is discarded before he enters, his eyes lidding as he steps on the butt and drives it into the concrete.

A cigarette butt. Sanzu chuckles as he stares at the abused and destroyed item ground to nothing against the pavement. I feel like a cigarette butt. Overlooked, stepped on, disregarded, trash... He's the cigarette butt. And you're the shoe coming down to snuff him out.

"Fuck." The keys on Sanzu's little ring jingle around as he looks for the only one that matters now: your apartment key. When he locates it with a shaking set of fingers and tears threatening to spill over his lids, he jams it roughly into the tumbler and yanks on the door handle.

The scent that hits him used to make him happy. It used to rouse him from a long, endless night of getting high as fuck and encourage him to get his shit together for half an hour.

But right now, it makes him want to vomit.

The smell of sex and noisy moans spill out from somewhere in the apartment, each driving a stone into Sanzu's gut. And when he looks toward the living room, he sees the back of Rindou Haitani's head - that blonde and blue mess of shit Sanzu's offered to have his stylist clean up for months.

Sanzu knows your sounds of pleasure by heart, but just seeing Rindou standing there and you're crying out for him and he's not moving anymore but he can't stay here and watch anymore and it's over and it's over and Rindou is grunting while calling out your name and Sanzu's body is frozen there in the doorway as Rindou cums and smacks your ass so loud that he flinches at the echo it makes and and and--

"Sanzu?" You're facing him now, your clothes clutched against your chest. "What the fuck are you doing here?!"

"Yo, man," Rindou calls out, hurriedly pulling his pants up around his waist and paling as well. "Dude, I'm really sorry about this, but--"

Sanzu just stands there, akimbo and lost.

"Get the fuck out of here! Get lost, you freak!"

Freak.

Right.

Sanzu doesn't do what would be "on brand" and leaves, even closing the door behind him. Perhaps it's the shock, he rationalizes, driving out of the parking garage and turning on some light music to which he can tap his fingers on the steering wheel. Or maybe he'd finally gotten the will to be better. He'll have to thank you later.

#sanzu haruchiyo x reader #sanzu haruchiyo #tokyo revengers sanzu #haruchiyo sanzu #rindou haitani x reader #rindou haitani smut #rindou haitani #tokyo revengers x reader #tokyo revengers smut #tokyo revengers

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ambrossart · 16 days

Note

I've seen the screenshots you shared of your outlining/plotting process and I'm curious- what software do you use to keep track of all the story and character details?

Could you be referring to Plottr?

This one? ☝️

I've actually stopped using Plottr. It's a great app, probably one of the best out there, but I found that it was feeding a lot of my bad habits. I have a tendency to get stuck in the pre-writing stage (as well as the editing stage, but that's a separate issue), and I found that I was wasting a lot of time messing around on this app. I can't afford to do that anymore. My writing time is too limited.

So I decided to strip-down my approach.

Currently, I've limited myself to three apps/devices:

Aeon Timeline for my plotting/planning

my smart typewriter for freewriting/early drafting

and Ulysses as my main word-processor

Out of all the plotting apps I've tried (and I've tried just about all of them), Aeon Timeline is the only one I've used consistently.

It’s basically a giant database. You can use it to store your characters, locations, events, whatever you want. And you can view this data in a number of ways, including of course, as a timeline. It’s a great reference source for your fanfic, novel, or book series. I’ve been using it for years.

Aeon Timeline

Freewrite Smart Typewriter

Ulysses

#answered asks #thanks for the ask!#writing #fic writing #pre-writing #story plotting #plottr #aeon timeline #ulysses #ambrossart

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onepagelovestories · 6 days

Text

I made a discovery/theory that I thought I might share in case it's of use or interest to anyone else!

How big is Valisthea?

TL;DR - It's just Scotland, Cymru (Wales), Ireland, and England but flipped upside-down and photo bashed a bit.

These are just purely my observations, so I'm throwing them into the void!

So, for fan fiction purposes (and just general peace of mind), I really wanted to figure out exactly how big the twins were, considering how insanely quick everyone moves around. This is obviously true for video games in general but I felt it a lot more in FFXVI than other comparable games imo.

There's not a ton to go off of, just some throwaway dialogue lines here and there that give you the general sense that you can move from one location to the next in a day or two primarily by foot (chocobos are a whole other side tangent, as is the Enterprise or whatever the hell Dominants are capable of).

Some of those specific references include;

The trip from Rosalith to Pheonix Gate and back taking an expected 5 days total (with Clive, Tyler, and Wade arriving that night despite the detour through the marshes),

The boat ride from Port Isolde to Drake's Breath taking 3 days,

Someone from the hideaway referencing that they leave for Lostwing each day for work. (Couldn't find the exact example don't quote me on that one.)

Twinsides/Origin being "Hundreds of Leagues" away from The Hideaway

There's probably a few others, but most of the other examples I could find were open to interpretation, merely implying that travel took place in the same day but could be interpreted to have been spread out over longer were it not for 'video game logic and scale'.

That being said, I like things being a little more grounded for head canon purposes and wanted to know how much down time was reasonable in and between trips back and forth.

In general, I feel like the game should have been spread out over the full 5 years. But understanding game development limits, I get why that'd have been a nightmare! So the time skip makes sense practically, and I just choose to headcanon that events are a little more spread out. (Like them taking the full year in 873, from Clive and Jills rescue to destroying Drakes Head, rather than a couple of weeks like it seems in game.)

Shout out to this reddit post for doing an awesome estimate based on an average measure of the aforementioned "hundreds of leagues" quote. This was my starting point.

They concluded that Valisthea was likely closer in size to India or Australia, which I like a lot in terms of Valisthea being a full-scale continent. However, it does mess with the timeline a lot.

Also, I'm from a large country so my sense of what is a "reasonable" distance is pretty thrown off compared to a lot of other places. A 2-5 hour (200-400km) car ride to another city is nothing in my head until you realize that distance would take 1-4 weeks to walk or even ride (Horse metrics. Again chocobos are weird and probably a bit faster due to being all terrain and more robust than horses but are also birds so I don't know what endurance levels carrying heavy loads would be like).

Soooo, I began looking for European contemporaries since the game is very eurocentric (and all the criticisms that come with that).

Which led me to the realization that Valisthea is literally just the UK and Ireland, but flipped.

Now. Am I 100% certain this is what the devs did? Of course not. Is it so damn close that I'm 99.9% certain? Yes. Storm is Britain, and Cymru. The Northern Kingdom and the Iron Kingdom are Scotland but broken up. And Ash is Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Major cities or points of interest all have approximate real-world contemporaries and even follow geographical features on the map in that there are matching rivers, topography and even highways.

The biggest giveaway to me was Pheonix Gate just literally being London, as well as Norvant Valley matching exactly in shape with an upside down Bristol Channel (which would put Caer Norvent in Swansea). Even The Greatwood lines up relative to a major national park (forgive me UK peeps, it's hard to tell from a map alone if that's all one giant forest or several parks smooshed together).

So, if we're working off that assessment, with the quote from Tomes where he mentions that Valisthea is a small continent, then the time/distance ratio makes a lot more sense!

Of course, by our world standards – the UK alone does not a continent make.

But I'm honestly ok with that? I'd rather the land mass be small to match the timeline rather than warp the timeline to match the land mass.

So, here's a list of some of my estimated real-world contemporaries for all major landmarks on the Valisthean Map. Of course, they don't line up 1-1, and are not at all reflective of the locations themselves. It's all just for a relative sense of scale.

Rosaria;

Martha's Rest - Oxford

Eastpool - Reading

Pheonix Gate - London

Rosalith - Cambridge

Port Isolde - Peterborough (ignoring that it's not on the coast)

Deadlands

Cid's Hideaway - Stratford-Upon-Avon

Clive's Hideaway - Birmingham

Sanbreque;

Lostwing - Tauton

Caer Norvent - Swansea

Northreach - Exeter

Oriflamme - Kingsbridge

Kingsfall - Salisbury

Dhalmekian Republic;

Kostnice - Leicester

Drake's Fang - Sheffield

Dhalamil - Derby

Dravozd - Wolverhampton

Tabor - Shrewsbury

Boklad - Lampeter

Ran'Dallah- Tregaron

Waloed;

Shadow Coast - Belfast

Eistla - Kinnegad

Edge of Infinity - Westport

Ravenwit Walls - Wenagh

Stonhyrr - Cork

Other;

Twinsides - Fishguard

Kanvar - Chester

Drake's Breath - Ipswich

Dzemekys - Aberystwyth

Going off of those locations, I was able to get the rough time/distance of certain trips (using google maps metrics in pure walking hours not how long it took them because of *variables*)

Routes;

Rosalith to Pheonix Gate: 86km, 20hrs

Hideaway to Pheonix Gate: 172km, 39hrs (to Martha's Rest: 67km, 15hrs; +Eastpool: 41km, 9hrs; then to Pheonix Gate: 64km, 15hrs)

Hideaway to Oriflamme: 295km, 68hrs (Hideaway to Lostwing: 184km, 43hrs. What shortcut Cid?? +Northreach: 48km, 11hrs; +Oriflamme: 63km, 14hrs)

Lostwing to Caer Norvent: 199km, 46hrs (Benedika and Co were at that fort for days, not hours. Also, how hard did Cid knock Clive out if it took more than a week to get back to the Hideaway after the Garuda Fight?)

Shadow Coast to Stonhyrr: 755km, 171hrs. (Shadow Coast to Eistla: 169km, 38hrs; +Edge of Infinity and back: 181km, 41hrs x2; +Stonhyrr: 224km, 51hrs) meaning crew were gone in Waleod for WEEKS.)

So, all in all a bit longer than in seems in game but still well within range given that they probably shaved off arbitrary travel days for narrative flow.

That being said, I love the potential of more "down time" moments. And it really shows just how often/long everyone would be gone from the Hideaway at any given moment.

It puts into perspective Gav's side quest, "You keep sending me wherever you need to, I'll keep going. Safe in the knowledge that I'll have a home to come back to." And how they all remark that they never seen each other, or how much their trips away together were really meaningful.

(Also kinda excuses the fact it took Clive and Jill 5 freaking years to get together. They were too busy walking everywhere!)

Is it possible to just pop down to Martha's for a quick supply run? Yes. But unless you're on a chocobo, you're camping out at Three Reeds then staying the night at the Inn before heading back. It's more of a 4-7 day trip rather than an afternoon and back.

Anyhow, I hope this all makes sense!

Now, time to go write about Clive/Cid camping overnight in the Greatwood together on Clive's first real night of freedom. 😭😭😭

#ffxvi #ff16 #final fantasy 16 #valisthea #fan fiction

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pocketramblr · 2 years

Note

AU where Connor Kent mistakes Jon for another clone of Superman but since clones make Clark uncomfortable, the Young Justice... kinda kidnaps a child and is ready to raise him, please.

The Gang Kidnaps A Child!

It's been a while since I've watched yj the timeline will be even more of a mess

1- Conner is visiting Ma and Pa Kent for like, the second time ever, and Jon happens to be there. Conner was completely unaware of Jon's existence. He asks Ma who that is, and Ma says "oh that's your brother Jon, of course."

Conner, who knows how Clark feels about his clone, assumes Ma also knows how Clark feels about the clone. He doesn't even consider that she means Jon is Clark's son. She called him his brother, so he must be another clone- and there were so many others at CADMUS, so it makes sense.

2- Conner asks Ma where Jon stays. Ma, thinking about how Conner stays in a mountain hole, basically alone, purses her lips, but then moves on to say that Jon lives with Clark and Lois, though she does love when they visit, they should both do it more

Conner interprets that to mean that Clark is not happy or comfortable with Jon there, but has to, since he's too young to qualify to stay with YJ.

But that's not something that'd stop them!

3- Conner: hey M'gann can you hook up the mindlink real quick M'gann: sure Conner: hey team Kid Flash: yeah? What's this? Party in the base? Mission? Conner: There's another super clone Robin: where? Conner: about thirty feet in front of me, Smallville. He's younger. Unsure what powers. Robin: ... Aqualad: What do you suggest? Not hostile? Conner: not at all. But he's stuck living with Superman :/ probably would be happier here, but with CADMUS and the Light it can't be safe all the time. Robin: ... Aqualad: so we should consider other safe locations? Atlantis would be hospital, but I'm unsure that'd be the best for him. Kid Flash: what about our base? If you're cool with him moving in, I mean. Conner: ... I don't think I'd mind that much. Better than staying where he is. Robin: ... M'gann: great! We're in agreement. So should we tell Superman? Or Robin ask Batman? Could the Flash authorize the movement? Conner: I was thinking, just take him. Robin: GREAT IDEA UH PATROL NOW GOTTA GO M'GANN Kid Flash: isn't it like 4 pm in Gotham right now M'gann: focus, KF, we've got to get the base ready to raise a child in!

4- Robin is laughing so hard. But he's gonna encourage them to do it, and help sneak Jon in by covering the tech, cameras, zeta tubes, etc. And B is going to find this hilarious, even if he can't show it in the cowl.

5- Jon is totally happy to get an invitation to visit the YJ base with Superboy! His dad never takes him to any superhero stuff! He doesn't even notice Conner shoving their overnight bags into the base too, and extra snacks. The base is so cool, and most of the rest of the team zeta's in give him a tour, and his own guest room, and invite him for a sleepover! Conner says he texted Ma and got permission, so Jon rolls with it.

Ma did give permission. She did not mention that Clark and Lois were coming over to dinner before taking Jon home. (Just like she didn't mention Conner visiting later when Clark dropped Jon off.)

Clark gets there and is Concerned that he can't see Jon anywhere near them. Ma says he's fine, hanging out with Conner. Clark realizes he does in fact hear Jon's heartbeat in the base, but Lois stops him from flying off before dinner, since Jon must be having fun.

When Clark does finally get there, and announces he can take Jon home, Conner says the whole team is perfectly happy to let him stay. Jon is excited, and asks "can I stay, please, Dad?"

The whole team stiffens, very awkwardly. He's too young to know the difference between a son and a clone, and that hurts. Clark winces a moment after they do, but agrees, telling him to have fun, does he need anything from the farm first-

"Nope, I got all my stuff, and they gave me my own room to put it in!"

Clark realizes this was not the team throwing a surprise sleepover. This was the team trying a surprise adoption. They tried to surprise adopt his own kid!

"That's great. I'll see you tomorrow morning then!"

Then he goes off to call B, trying not to panic.

+1- B did, as Robin predicted, laugh when Robin told him about the plan and adding Jon to the zeta codes- "Superboy 2". He doesn't laugh when Clark calls him, but he's clearly amused, and smug. Now Clark has to face his opinions on his family, as B knew he would.

#Robin knows Jon or at the very least knows OF Jon #so he was shoving all his emotions and thoughts down in the rest of the call #i should probably start tagging these long posts #long post #gentrychild #pocket talks to people #ask game

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mxacegrey · 11 months

Text

Sitting at your desk, you wrote in the case files before you. Suddenly a bright red light buzzed from your computer, reading 'Timeline fracture -- Alternate timeline detected'. Frantically, you accessed the system to reveal the location of such an anomaly. Sighing in annoyance, you collected the case files, letters that had sat on the corner of your desk, and your bag before opening a time portal to the location.

Alarms rang as you walked into the cortex, scrolling through documents on your tablet. You sat down on a chair you had dragged out from the med bay, facing the door when the suspects in question arrived.

"Who the hell are you?" A man in a tight red suit asked, the rest of the group holding a weapon in your direction.

"Please put the weapons down. I'm here for a Mr. Allen. Mr. Bartholomew Henry Allen." You explained calmly before pointing at the man in the red suit. "Which, I take it, is you, sir. I also assume that your friends here are Francisco Ramon, Dr Caitilin Snow, Joe, Wally, and Iris West."

"What do you want?" Mr. Allen asked, removing the mask from his face, and glaring at you.

"I am simply here to hand you this letter and to tell you that you and your compatriots are due for a trial for your crimes against the timeline." You stated, taking out a small stack of letters from your bag and attempting to hand it to the group. As you attempted to hand the papers, the group moved away from you. Raising an eyebrow, you simply placed the documents on the table before moving back.

"Who are you?" Cisco asked cautiously, watching you step back.

"My name is Y/N. Y/N Thawne." You replied, causing the group to step back from you in shock. Joe raised his gun at your head, shooting a bullet straight at you. Within a split second, you caught the bullet between your thumb and index finger. Moving your hand down to your side, you looked at the group in disappointment and veiled annoyance.

"W...What are you doing?" Wally asked as he watched you take out your tablet and start typing.

"None of you seem to be very receptive to me being here so I am calling in my partner. Perhaps he will have better luck." You replied, looking up at the group sharply.

"Your husband is a psychopath, who killed my mother!" Barry iterated for the seventh time since you revealed your name. You shook your head and rolled your eyes in annoyance. You noticed a time portal opening from behind the group and called out to your partner,

"E. I had no idea you were a psychopath or that you killed Nora Allen."

"I had no idea either." Your partner replied, causing the group to turn around in shock at the familiar voice.

"Eddie?!" Iris called out, walking towards Eddie, who walked past the group and wrapped an arm around your waist. A streak of red lightning followed Eddie as a man in yellow stopped next to him.

"Oh, Crap." The man in yellow exclaimed as he took his mask off.

"Hold it right there, Eobard." You and Eddie scolded the man, as he was about to run off once more.

"... Hello." Eobard smiled, waving mockingly at Team Flash.

"He's a murderer!" Barry yelled, his eyes tearing up as he pointed at Eobard. "Why would you let him out?!"

"Technically yes. But his actions are the ones that we told him to take." You explained before turning to Eobard. "And Eo, take that damn illusion off."

"Fine." He replied, before pressing a button on his watch. Team Flash watched in shock as Eobard seemed to get younger until he was a teenager. "Better, Mum? Dad?"

"Much." You and Eddie replied before opening a time portal back to your offices.

"She was my mother! And your son murdered her!" Barry yelled at the trio, causing you to turn with a slightly sympathetic look on your face.

"I mean this in the nicest way possible but your mother was essentially timeline collateral. Her death is a fixed point in time. As you can tell, messing with such events can have devasting effects." You replied before speeding away with Eobard, leaving behind purple lightning.

"Try not to mess with the timeline anymore, Allen. You've already created masses of paperwork." Eddie replied before leaving in blue lightning.

Upon entering your office, Eobard looked at you and Eddie in mock innocence.

"Love you, Mum and Dad."

"You're grounded... And no Barty." You told Eobard, exchanging a smirk with Eddie.

"What, no Barty?!" Eobard exclaimed, shocked.

"No Barty." Eddie repeated. Eobard left the room, his red lightning following him. Eddie pulled you into his arms and pressed his lips to yours. His left hand held yours, your matching golden wedding rings glistening in the light.

Months went by until you were interrupted once more by a bright red light buzzing from your computer. Your desk was cluttered with paperwork regarding Flashpoint and the new changes to the timeline that had to be recorded and analyzed.

"What?" You called out, bemused as you looked at the computer.

'Timeline fracture -- Death of individual too early'

'Location: Infantino Street'

"What?!" You exclaimed as you read the notice. Eddie walked up behind you, his chin on your shoulder.

'Harrison "HR" Wells (Earth 19) - Deceased May 23, 2017'

"WHAT?!" You and Eddie yelled, eyes wide in shock.

#eddie thawne x fem! reader #eddie thawne x reader #team flash x reader #team flash #cw the flash #platonic eobard thawne x reader #fem reader #eddie thawne #eddie thawne x you #second person narration #fluff #minimal angst #consquences #timelines #post-flashpoint

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ninjadeathblade · 6 months

Text

Frozen Heart (a Snatcher fanfic)

Summary: When Vanessa tries to take over the Subcon, Snatcher has to stop her.

Word count: 4,956

Warnings: Vanessa (once again deserves her own warning), blood, injury description, trauma, memory manipulation, Vanessa kidnaps Snatcher a couple times, violence

Author's notes: I did not give this guy much time to fix things lol (apparently there's only ten days between his disappearance and reappearance, hence the numbered dividers to show when it's a new day). Does tie into this AU's timeline but can be read as a stand alone. Anyway, I wrote this in three days (oh god I wrote this in three days). Shorter than I expected but here! Take this morsel!

Snatcher stared at the eerily dark forest, hovering above it as he inspected the damage from Vanessa's rampage.

It didn't resemble his home, not any longer.

Ice cloaked acres of trees and land, only a faint couple of lights flickering in the dark.

Snatcher snapped his attention over to a light that was blinking in a pattern.

Snatcher snapped his fingers, teleporting to the location of the light.

“Mr Snatcher! You've returned!”

The ghost turned around, crouching down to be level with one of his minions.

“What. Happened?” Snatcher whispered.

“I- I don't know! Everything was fine and normal and then suddenly Vanessa was in the village and everyone was freezing,” they replied. “It's so cold, sir. I might lie down, just for a short nap.”

“No. Don't do that. You'll fall prey to the curse again,” Snatcher instructed. “You've got to stay awake. Everyone needs to stay awake.”

“But they all fell asleep and they're just fine,” the minion argued, pointing past Snatcher's shoulder.

The ghost turned and watched the shuffling forms of other spirits in the distance.

One's head looked over at that and Snatcher's blood ran cold at the piercing red stare.

“They're not fine. Kid, whatever you do, don't fall asleep.” Snatcher's words were a garbled mess as he spun back to the minion.

But it was too late.

Their body was covered in frost as they lay on the floor.

Snatcher let out a swear, floating up to the branches of a nearby tree.

“Let's get facts straight,” he said to himself. “Vanessa escaped. She's trying to take over the forest. Barely anyone is left. If you fall asleep, you become a mindless puppet of hers. Oh, and I'm probably all there is to stop her!”

He looked back down at the mass of spirits now trying to make a tower to climb up and reach him.

“Yay.” The words came out through gritted teeth.

He snapped his fingers, teleporting his phone to a hidden spot within the Subcon.

"Just have to survive."

He'd made it through the night.

Admittedly, without sleep and the constant movement of his body through the treetops to avoid Vanessa's mind controlled slaves.

But he'd made it through the night.

“Okay, let's be reasonable,” Snatcher spoke to himself, legs swinging as he sat on a branch. “I need supplies. Power! I need power. And to get power I need to have souls. And to get souls I have to go to my home.”

He let out a groan of frustration as he eyed the tree.

“But if she's looking for me anywhere, it'd be there! The place is probably swarming with guards!” Snatcher let out an annoyed huff, standing up.

“But I'm out of options and will be out of time if I'm not quick enough.”

The ghost jumped, climbed, and swung from tree to tree, trying to conserve his energy for when things may take a turn for the worse.

Finally he arrived, dropping down behind one of the glowing mushrooms that populated what could be considered as his garden.

No guards were in sight. But there was someone there.

A record played scratchily from inside the giant tree. An eerie, almost lullaby-like tune floated through the air, different to the usual music that Snatcher would listen to.

He crept forward slowly, ducking and weaving behind bits of cover.

“I know you're there. You can't hide from me.”

Snatcher froze in place, alarms going off in his mind.

Thousands of years had passed since he last heard her.

He scrambled to his feet, immediately running away as fast as he could.

He couldn't do this.

No.

No!

Not now, not ever.

Not again.

He stumbled, dropping into a ditch.

Snatcher pressed himself up against the muddy bank, chest rising and falling rapidly as he tried to control his breathing.

“You can run but you can't hide.”

Too close.

The voice was too close.

Snatcher pushed off the bank, weaving through the trees towards the usually flaming part of the forest.

The ashen trees looked like upright sticks of charcoal but didn't burn.

He clambered up a tree, clasping a hand over his mouth to stifle his short, sharp breaths.

“Where are you? I know you're hiding.”

Still too close.

Somewhere below him, traipsing through the ash covered floor.

He stayed there, curled up as tightly as he could, staying as quiet as possible.

Wishing that this nightmare would go away.

It might have been seconds. Minutes. Even hours.

He didn't know how long before he let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

Snatcher let out a shriek as an ice cold hand grabbed his wrist.

“Found you.”

Snatcher blinked his eyes open, slowly adjusting to his dim surroundings.

A thin layer of water covered floor tiles.

The dank walls and ceiling that seeped coldness into him.

He tried to move.

Shackles clanked around his wrists and ankles.

No.

No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no.

No.

Not back here, never back here.

Snatcher used the last of his powers, shifting to a smaller form.

It had a striking resemblance to a certain young girl he'd once contracted, one who had a taste for hats and timepieces.

“I've got to get out.” The words came out in a string of rushed fear as he crossed to the stairs that led outside.

He pushed at the doors but they merely rattled, not opening to the no-doubt freezing outdoors.

“No.”

The ghost moved as quietly as he could to the only other set of stairs in the basement.

He swallowed nervously, pushing lightly against the door.

It swung open.

Snatcher let out a shaky breath.

He didn't want to be here.

He didn't want to be trapped.

He wanted to be with his family.

But he had an obligation to the Subcon.

Snatcher tiptoed up the stairs, turning right once he reached the hallway.

He pushed open the door at the end of the hall, looking at the piano.

He hummed to himself as he played a melody, wishing he was better at singing.

“My prince, that was beautiful!” Vanessa praised, not even waiting for him to finish. “However, why don't we spend some time together before you have to leave again?”

“But, we are spending time together,” he protested, hands still hovering over the keys.

Vanessa giggled before kissing him on the lips. “Don't be silly! The piano is getting all your attention, not me!”

He dragged his gaze from the piano back to her.

“You're- you're right. I suppose it is,” he mumbled, trailing his fingers over the keys before shutting the lid.

“Now, how about I catch you up on what's been happening in the kingdom, hm?”

Snatcher blinked, swallowing the nausea that came with the memory.

A shadow flitted outside the door and Snatcher hid under the piano, clasping a hand over his mouth.

The door creaked open and Vanessa shuffled across the room.

“He's mine, mine, mine, mine!” She muttered to herself, grabbing something off the shelf before leaving the room again.

Snatcher slowly crawled out from under the piano, reaching up one small hand to touch its side.

“One day…”

He shook his head, forcing himself to concentrate again.

A single slip up could lead to his doom.

As he snuck around the rest of the house, Snatcher picked up torn pages scattered around the rooms, reading Vanessa's elegant-as-ever handwriting.

Why? What have I done wrong? In his letters he talks about her. A ‘tutor’. He says he loves me. But SHE sees him. I get his letters, and SHE gets his time. He is MINE. Once his studies are finished, I will have him back.

Today my prince left to begin his studies. He will be so far away, and for so long. He has promised to write. He won't forget me, will he? His beloved princess?

He is coming back. Just one weekend. A short holiday, away from HER. I will convince him to stay. I CANNOT let my love leave again.

Mother had a bit of an accident last week, so today I got crowned as queen. Now the prince can't call me his princess! Life isn't fair!

My prince enjoys his breakfast far too much. I'm jealous of that darn bacon! He loves it! No more bacon in this house!

Oh, I wish I could just keep him always! Locked up and in chains in the cellar! But you can't chain a man…can you?

I'm sorry about your hair, my prince. I just wanted our lengths to match!... and colour… and curl… you look wonderful!

He shivered, glancing back towards the doorway of the room.

“You were such a creep, how didn't I see that sooner?”

He paused over one of the pieces of paper he'd picked up.

My Dearest Vanessa,

It has been many days since I saw you last, but it feels like months. My time at the Academy is hard, but I am progressing quickly. There is so much to study when it comes to law, but the library here is well-stocked. Our tutors are the finest in the land, and I am thankful for their help. I have been attending private study with one, an experienced practitioner by the name of Lady-

The rest of the letter was ruined and torn.

He tried to congure memories of whoever this mysterious tutor might have been.

But nothing came, only hazy, fear-blurred memories from when the curse first took place.

He tried opening another window to get outside.

This one opened and Snatcher looked at the drop into the powdery snow outside.

The door handle of the room creaked.

He stuffed the papers into his pocket, launching himself over the sill and outside.

The cold seeped into his body, clinging to him, as he began to head away from the land of nightmares.

Snatcher looked nervously at the statues outside the front of the manor as he scurried past.

One twitched slightly, almost as if listening for him.

Snatcher froze, waiting for the danger to pass.

He darted back into motion at the blood curdling scream that came from the house.

He was nearly out of the clearing the manor was in when something struck him.

Long, sharp, piercing.

From behind and up, thrown with force.

Snatcher was flung to the ground with the force of the attack.

He stood as soon as he could, not bothering to deal with the icicle lodged in his side.

Pain could wait.

Escaping from this nightmare could not.

Snatcher flinched as snow crunked on the ground beneath him, body pressing further into the branches of the tree.

He had managed to find his supply of souls and absorb them, giving him a power boost of sorts.

He hadn't been able to dislodge the sharp icicle from his side. Instead a slow stream of blood trickled out of where it came from and he felt even colder than usual.

Another noise from the bottom of the tree.

Please.

No.

Not again.

Please.

I'll do anything.

Just don't make me go back.

“Boss?”

It wasn't Vanessa.

Snatcher stifled a sob, peering down at the ground below him.

A Subconite, not controlled by Vanessa, squinted up at him.

“Boss! You're back!” They cried.

Snatcher slowly slithered down from the treetop, body shifting back to his usual form instead of the one that imitated Hat Kid.

“You need to leave. She'll find you,” Snatcher pleaded, ice still lodged in his side.

“Who, Vanessa?”

Another pang of pain struck through his body, beginning at the icicle then creeping up his spine, out through the rest of his body.

“Just go. She'll find me again soon. You need to leave. Run away and try and find somewhere safe to hide. How about Nyakuza Metro? I hear that place is lovely this time of year.” Snatcher's words bumped into one another as he desperately tried to convince the spirit to leave.

“Haha, you're being funny,” the spirit chuckled. “Hey, the others would be overjoyed to see you escaped! Come with me, I'll take you to them!”

“Others…others escaped?” Snatcher asked, a couple amber drops falling from his eyes and melting the snow.

The spirit nodded. “Yep! There's only a couple others and me but we got out!”

“Which number are you?” Snatcher inquired as the spirit led him further through the forest, towards the massive well that took up part of the Subcon.

“Oh, me? I'm Nine!” They chirped, hopping onto the wooden bridges closest to the last bank of land. “Subconite One-Forty and Dweller Thirty-Seven are still free as well. But we haven't found anyone else.”

Snatcher floated out over the murky purple waters as Nine set about moving the bridge closest to the land further away.

“How have you survived so long?” Snatcher's breath hitched as Nine wobbled on the edge of one bridge.

“I've always lived on this side of Subcon. And my bridge defence system is flawless! These waters can't freeze over - Vanessa already tried before eventually giving up,” Nine explained, stopping moving the bridges. They looked slowly up at him. “It's going to be like this for a while, won't it?”

Snatcher's mouth pursed briefly before he sighed.

“I will fix it. But I don't know how long it will take.”

“Don't rush yourself. You're trying, and that's more than most of us.”

Snatcher sat curled up as the two Subconites rushed around.

Thirty-Seven stared pensively at him, green orbs blankly illuminating the room from behind their fox mask.

“Tea?” One-Forty offered, holding up a misshapen clay mug filled with purple goop.

“I'm good kiddo, you have it.” Snatcher pushed the mug back towards One-Forty’s chest.

One-Forty did the equivalent of a grin and lifted the mug to their cloaked face as they sat down beside Thirty-Seven.

“Why don't most of the Subconites like Dwellers?” One-Forty asked.

“Maybe it's ‘cause they're cooler than us,” Nine suggested, shrugging as they walked back into the room, a small lantern in one hand.

It brightened the inside of the tree a bit more, allowing Snatcher a better look at the trio of spirits.

They looked tired, like they haven't rested in a while.

“I have a plan. To save here.”

“Really?!”

“I'll need your help though.”

Snatcher directed the few surviving spirits, letting them know his plan.

“I'll get there. And then maybe some dramatic monologue or diatribe thing will happen. But when I snap my fingers, I need you guys to bring the frame out behind her, okay? Do you all understand the plan?” Snatcher confirmed.

The three of them nodded.

“Find a frame, get to the clearing as soon as you can. Hide. Wait until my signal,” Snatcher repeated his instructions. “Stay hidden until the very end, okay? I don't know how soon we'll get there.”

The trio of spirits nodded again.

“Stay safe, alright?”

“I’ll look after us, sir,” Nine said, puffing their chest out like they were the image of bravery.

“Good. Wish me luck.”

Snatcher tried to banish his fear as he crossed the bridge back to what was originally Vanessa's part of the forest.

How had she even escaped?

“Vanessa! You wanted me, right?! Well I'm right here!” Snatcher yelled as he floated over the snow.

“You've been after me all this time! Let everyone else go, and you can have me.”

As if in a flash, the queen appeared on the horizon, crawling like an animal along the walls of the icy tunnel that led to her manor.

“You'll stay? Forever?”

“As long as you let the rest of them go. They didn't do anything wrong.”

The queen walked across the snow, body morphing as she approached him.

Her back straightened, her hair curled and became golden. Black, shadowy robes turned to an emerald ball gown.

“Do you promise?” She whispered, red eyes staring, unblinking, full of hope and full of malice.

“Just let them go. Please,” Snatcher begged.

The queen, tipped her head to the side, a smile full of knives consuming her otherwise beautiful features.

“No.”

Snatcher blinked, looking around him.

He was in the metro’s main station.

How had he gotten back there?

Why couldn't he remember?

An explosion of ice shattered lights and windows, sending shards flying everywhere.

“Why did you have to bring her here?” Empress snarled, running past him.

“What?”

“Deal with your own messes! And stop coming here! You're not welcome!” The cat yelled over one shoulder as she darted away from her shop.

Snatcher turned around, looking at the shop.

Police tape covered the exterior, barricades up around it on the street.

And instead of jewellery in one window, a yellow haired girl waved at him.

“Having fun yet?”

Snatcher stared around the arena in the Subcon Forest.

The smell of magic filled the air as green flames flickered around the outside wall.

Hat Kid jumped up and down, dodging attacks from shadow versions of herself.

“Kiddo?! No, hold on, I can help!” Snatcher shouted, one hand reaching out to try and pick up the small girl.

She leaped away from him, fear creasing her features.

Something was off, something was missing.

“She's annoying.”

Snatcher looked over at where Vanessa pouted, turning a purple top hat over in her hands.

“Nice hat though. I might just keep it.”

“Where am I?” He blinked, sitting up.

He raised his hands, staring at them in abject horror.

Skin?

No, he couldn't be, he wasn't-

“Hurry up, you'll be late to studies!”

That voice.

It wasn't human.

He spun around, staring up at the entity perched on top of a bookshelf.

“You.”

They grinned, smile stretching across their oddly shaped grey face, their mismatching eyes closing.

“Me! You've got to go though, the library closes soon and you've got private tutoring,” they reminded, looking at him with their yellow and red eyes.

His fists balled at his side as his heart rammed at his ribcage.

It wasn't real.

It wasn't real!

“You never told me about that.”

He spun back around, expression morphing with anger.

At her. At this memory.

“Get out my head!”

He took the bouquet from the flower seller, looking down the alleyway nearby as someone sobbed.

A flash of golden locks and an emerald coloured dress.

“No.”

“I saw you two! You're cheating on me!” Vanessa screamed, tears streaming down her usually rosy cheeks.

“No! Vanessa, I bought these flowers for you-” he tried to protest.

“I don't want to hear your excuses!” Vanessa cut him off, eyes glowing.

Her body hunched over, shadows streaming out of every pore.

He struggled as two suits of armour detached from their stands, walking over and restraining him.

“Vanessa! Please! I love you!”

Years passed.

He grew used to the cold, to the almost consuming darkness, that was the cellar.

Shackles had weathered his skin.

His tear ducts seemed dry some days but like he couldn't stop crying the next.

His body had mostly decayed, becoming one with the darkness a different way than Vanessa's had.

She never came down here.

He tried slipping one hand out of his shackles.

It didn't budge.

He looked forlornly at the crown on the floor.

Another golden tear seeped out, splashing into the layer of water that coated the floor.

Snatcher jerked awake, staring at Vanessa.

“You kept so many secrets from me. But now you'll never have to keep secrets again,” she whispered.

He thrashed in his chains, squirming as he tried to escape.

“Oh no, I wouldn't do that. It would only cause more pain.”

As if the mention of the word activated it, pain lanced through him from where the icicle stuck through him.

“You will never have me,” Snatcher replied, breathing ragged as he went still.

“Oh?” Her eyes glowed red as she brushed a clump of hair back over one shoulder. “And why not?”

“Because I'm more powerful than you'll ever be.”

He shifted his size, changing to look like a Dweller.

Vanessa shrieked as he raced away through the house.

He made it up to the attic, cowering in a corner behind some boxes.

“Come out my prince… I know you're hiding. Don't you want to be together again?”

The eerie whispers floated through the house, the sound of nails dragging along a wall accompanying it.

Snatcher shifted his size again, grinning at the knife his new form conjured.

“You’d probably laugh if you found out,” Snatcher murmured as he looked at his version of Conductor.

He charged towards the window at the end of the room, barreling into it with the blade fracturing the glass.

Cold brisk air chilled him as he spun around, digging the knife into the woodwork of the house, slowing his descent.

Vanessa burst out the front doors and Snatcher shifted again, to the form he finally felt comfortable in.

The knife elongated to a sword and he smirked.

“Vanessa.”

“My prince.”

She snapped a hanging icicle off its place, the end sharpening as she held it.

“So this is what it's come to?” Snatcher asked, slowly walking backwards, facing Vanessa.

If there was one thing he remembered about sword fighting, it was not turning your back to your opponent.

“You are the reason it's come to this,” Vanessa hissed, body reforming its more queenly image.

She raised the icicle, holding it in two hands.

Snatcher's hand tightened around his own weapon.

“And I'm so glad it has.”

Weapons clashed. Metal met ice.

Ice met flesh. Metal met flesh.

Blood spattered purple and red across the snow.

Snatcher panted as he pulled away from the fight, smearing more of the purple liquid across his face as he tried to get it out of his vision.

Vanessa let out a chilling, deep breath, her wounds stitching themselves up almost as soon as they were dealt.

“Ready to give up?” Snatcher asked, a bitter laugh tinting his question.

“Not a chance.”

Over the course of the fight, they'd gradually travelled through the forest.

To the clearing where he'd finally get rid of her.

Snatcher stumbled slightly, blood filling his vision once more.

He gestured quickly and the cut on his forehead disappeared.

“You know, you've got a terrible form,” Snatcher said, wiping away the blood in his face.

Vanessa staggered slightly but planted the icicle she wielded in the ground, supporting her.

“I don't know why you're going through all this trouble. You could just come back. Be my prince again.”

“I will never be your prince. Never have been, never will be,” Snatcher said quietly, one hand clutching his side as he reverted to his original form.

The sword poofed into thin air as a ring of blue fire surrounded the clearing.

“We were in love!” Vanessa protested, forcing herself more upright.

“That person wasn't me. Whoever ‘your prince’ was, they sure weren't The Snatcher,” Snatcher growled, reaching out with one hand and snapping her weapon into pieces.

“And now, I'm going to make sure you can never harm anyone again.”

“And how are you going to do that? You may be powerful but even you couldn't stop me,” Vanessa hissed, body hunching back over and resuming its form of shadows.

“You're right, I can't. But this can.” Snatcher shrugged and grinned, snapping the fingers of his raised hand.

Nine, One-Forty, and Thirty-Seven carried one of the enchanted picture frames up behind Vanessa.

The queen let out a vicious scream of rage as it began to suck her into it.

“This isn't over! It will never be over!” Vanessa screeched, extending one clawed hand and grabbing the shard of ice that still pierced his side. “You'll never be rid of the curse.”

A freezing chill spread across Snatcher's body, like being plunged into arctic waters.

Everything suddenly seemed so much colder than it had seconds ago.

“I don't need to be rid of the curse,” Snatcher responded, tearing her hand off of the shard. “I just need my home to be rid of you.”

Vanessa seemed to be about to speak again before the frame finished its binding, trapping her inside of it.

The spirits quickly dropped the object, scattering back towards the shadows of the trees.

Snatcher picked it up, looking at it.

Tilted to one side, it showed what she had become, the monster that had terrorised the Subcon.

Tilted to the other it showed her from before. The queen with golden curls and emerald dress.

One thing that carried across the two pictures were Vanessa's deep red eyes.

“I did it,” Snatcher breathed softly, the reality of the situation seeping into him.

He felt curls of the curse spread further through his body, reaching sub-zero temperatures as he changed back to his more humanoid form.

He reached one hand up, dragging the shard in his side out of his body.

It slowly eased out of him, drawing bubbling, black blood at the same time.

He dropped it onto the floor, setting Vanessa down beside it.

“Sir! You're okay!”

Snatcher spun around, mind still on high alert. But it wasn't a threat headed for him.

Instead, a swarm of Dwellers and Subconites, seemingly now free of the curse.

“You- you're all free…?” Snatcher questioned, a couple amber drops leaking out his eyes onto the floor.

He crumpled to his knees, sobbing as the spirits surrounded him, a few even offering hugs.

Relief flooded him - this was what he had been fighting for, tirelessly, for days on end.

“Your new look is great!”

“Thanks a lot sir!”

“How's the movie going?”

“Okay, slow down,” Snatcher laughed, one hand smudging the tears against his face.

Snatcher waited for the spirits to quieten before he addressed them. “I am thinking of changing the look. And you're welcome.”

“And I haven't been in the studio for days, I'm not that sure what's going on. But… it's been fun, honestly. I really like it there,” Snatcher answered.

“You're a great ruler sir!”

“Thanks. But there's one more thing I have to do. If I want to be a truly great ruler,” Snatcher stated, dragging himself back to stand.

The spirits all backed off a bit, staring at the ruler of the Subcon.

“Does anyone here want to pass on?” Snatcher asked, throat scratchy and raw with emotion.

Dozens of hands shot up in the swarm of spirits.

“Okay. Line up, orderly fashion please.”

The spirits scrambled into line, only a couple Dwellers in the queue. Everyone else backed off to the edges of the clearing.

Snatcher knelt down to the spirit at the front of the line. He recognised this one; Nine. Who had helped him so much recently.

Despite his claims of not caring for his minions, he recognised the signature that each of their souls gave off.

“This I really what you want?” Snatcher confirmed, waiting for the spirit to nod.

“I've wanted this ever since Vanessa first put the curse in place,” Nine admitted.

Snatcher bowed his head, holding Nine’s shoulder with his right hand.

He felt more of the curse seep into him, another chill surging through his body.

He toughed it out.

He had been through worse.

He could make it through this.

Snatcher watched as Nine became a small orb of warm coloured light.

The ghost held the orb to his chest before releasing it to the sky.

Away to freedom.

To the peace they deserved so long ago.

A cheer went up once it had drifted away.

Snatcher smiled softly, aware of how the curse was building up inside of him.

Aware of how it might consume him if he helped too many pass on.

It was a risk he was willing to take.

For them.

For all of them.

Snatcher sighed, staggering to one knee as the last spirit passed on.

In the end, even the spirits who had lurked to the sides decided to pass on.

Snatcher couldn't feel any warmth from the air around him, the ground beneath him.

He snapped his fingers, summoning his phone.

He pocketed it, waiting until he was closer to home to ask about his friend's whereabouts.

The forest was near silent, only a few noises penetrating the night air.

“How am I meant to be a great ruler without subjects?” Snatcher laughed bitterly.

A few trees rustled in the branches above him and the ghost looked back down at the picture of Vanessa.

“I'll dispose of you. Then I want to go to my real family,” Snatcher stated, voice cold.

Hours had passed.

A ghost trudged through the dawn, across a desert, back to the closest thing he had to family.

And miles away, in a frozen corner of a forest, was a manor.

The manor had stayed the same for years within its icy nook.

But now, something was different.

A painting hung along in the attic, against a beam, facing the window.

White and light blue light shone upon the painting of a queen. Upon the painting of a monster.

Further still across the world, a penguin said goodnight to his companion.

And in an alleyway in the depths of the earth, a cat surveyed the graffiti she had done.

Art of a ghost, who had a glowing yellow smile that shone like the sun.

Above the earth, in a spaceship, a small girl lit a purple candle with that same golden smile.

And back in that desert, even with the pain that clung to his form, the ghost smiled.

Because he was finally free.

#a hat in time #ahit #ahit au #snatcher #the snatcher #a hat in time snatcher #ahit hat kid #ahit snatcher #ahit vanessa #ahit empress #queen vanessa #ahit queen vanessa #moonjumper #ahit moonjumper

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phoenix-flamed · 5 months

Text

As I'm playing through the Rosalith flashback and paying closer attention to things like the NPCs around the area's comments, as well as while bearing in mind everything we learn as the game progresses, in the lore tidbits, the thought lines, and even the Ultimania...

My perspective on Elwin as a ruler has shifted, and I want to amend some of my headcanons regarding his actions and decisions. This post is, as always, speculation borne from my observations and interpretations, which then of course influence my personal headcanons. So as always, please don't worry, you aren't obligated to agree with my thoughts!

I could write pages upon pages about just how overwhelmingly dire Rosaria's situation is at the start of the game, during Clive's flashback. There is so, so much going on, and so much that has led to the at-that-part-of-the-story current situation, and I definitely will tackle all of it at some point... But for now, I'll try and stay simpler, and just focus on, well, Elwin. Elwin and the type of ruler that he is, or strives to be.

He's a kindhearted, compassionate man, and that carries over into his role as a leader as well. At first, I'd taken to assuming that his sole focus was on Rosaria and its people. Now, I strongly disagree with myself on that. It's the opposite -- though his power in terms of rule only extends as far as the duchy's borders, I firmly believe that he does care about the other nations and their people. He is every bit a bleeding heart, to a point that it's detrimental to his own nation.

According to the Ultimania's timeline of events, the war with the Northern Territories officially kicked off while the situation regarding Kanver's push for independence was going on. I'll go into detail about that mess in that other post when I write it, but the reason I mention that is because it adds some perspective to what may have played a part in Elwin's handling of the north.

We know that it was Elwin himself who directly led the campaign against the Northern Territories. Rosaria was, at that time, engaged on two fronts, in two different conflicts, at two different locations entirely. The problem with this is that war is not a cheap endeavor. It requires money, supplies and resources, and of course soldiers. The longer a war lasts, the more of these things are required.

Now, take these necessities and double them, one for each of the two overlapping wars.

A nation only has so many of these needed resources at its disposal. The land can only provide so many crops at one time, there's only so much ore and crystals that can be mined or purchased or traded for, their coffers only have so much gil in them -- and in order to obtain more money, they need to part with resources for trade with the other nations. See how this can very quickly become a problem? It goes on like that in other veins, too, like the means to keep equipping their soldiers with armor and weapons, and even crystals. I could keep going on and on, but I'm pretty sure you get the point without me droning on with too many boring details.

Rosaria was faced with the precarious task of figuring out where, when, and how much resources should be allocated to which front at any given moment. On one hand, Rosaria is in an alliance with Dhalmekia, an agreement which binds them to the situation with Kanver, which means they can't exactly walk away under the explanation that they have more important matters to attend to. Not without jeopardizing future relations with Dhalmekia and Sanbreque, anyway. But the war with the Northern Territories is the more immediate threat, given that unlike the war for Kanver's independence, the prior one is taking place right there in their yard with their neighbors.

All of this is a long-winded way of saying that I speculate that the Northern Territories situation was the top priority, and given the immediate threat it posed to the duchy, it needed to be dealt with quickly and decisively.

Now, circling back to the subject of Elwin's compassionate leadership -- it's my personal belief, based on the conversations that go on during the Rosalith flashback of the game, that Elwin tries to only resort to war as a last ditch effort, or when the situation forces it in the name of defense.

I still don't agree with Elwin taking Jill to Rosaria. I'll probably never agree with it. But I think I have a better understanding now of why he might have done it, or at the very least a headcanon that I feel is more fitting to how I personally see his character. It may well have been to end the conflict as quickly, and with as minimal casualties on both sides, as possible and once and for all. It was an attempt at mercy, albeit an arguably misguided one, because the alternative to ensure that they would no longer attack Rosaria would have likely been something more extreme, such as forcing them to submit to Rosarian rule, or altogether wiping them off the map. Remember: this stirring of violence by the Northern Territories isn't a one-time occurrence. It's been an ongoing issue for centuries for Rosaria, up until that point.

But there's something else, too, that makes me believe in this opinion. When Elwin led the campaign into the Northern Territories to drive them back and fight them on their turf, Rosaria won that war. Elwin could have done anything, as the ruler of the victorious nation -- he could have killed Silvermane to leave their people in disarray and without a leader, he could have chosen to make an example out of the man and/or his troops to scare their people into compliance, he could have ground them under his heel, asserted dominance over them, and taken their land for Rosaria, all to force and maintain their submission as a means of eliminating them as a threat to his nation.

But he didn't do that. He didn't do any of that, actually.

There are a few words used in the summary of Elwin's victory against the Northern Territories, words that I feel are incredibly important. It specifically says that he pacified them. He didn't go there to dominate them or destroy them, he went there to push them back out of Rosarian territory after Silvermane and his soldiers had invaded, and to end their fighting against Rosaria once and for all. How he chose to go about it, no, I don't agree with. But once again, I understand what I believe he was trying to achieve. Unlike the other nations of Storm, the Northern Territories weren't a unified nation. They were a collection of small, individual nations, that started to fall apart after their Mothercrystal, Drake's Eye, died. When they invaded Rosaria at that time, they had dwindled into a series of tribes, whose aggressive nature had been amplified by desperation due to the Blight's spreading across their lands. The other noteworthy part of the summary of Elwin and Rosaria's victory against them, is the specific mention that Elwin unified them.

He didn't conquer them after their loss. He got them to come together as one collective peoples, rather than staying as fragmented tribes.

This is why I believe Elwin is an incredibly, and in fact entirely too compassionate leader. He doesn't just want what's best for his people, he wants to help others as well. Which isn't inherently a bad thing! But where it becomes an issue is with what we find out during that first flashback segment in Rosalith: Rosaria has been taking in refugees from the north, who are fleeing their homes due to the Blight's consumption of more and more of their land.

We find out from Elwin and Rodney themselves that the number of refugees continues to grow, and Rosaria can't keep up in terms of resources -- everything from food to shelter. Meanwhile, the Blight is spreading rapidly towards Rosarian soil, which means that the same fate befalling the Northern Territories is going to befall the duchy as well, if he doesn't do something now. There is no more time; there are no more options left, no alternative methods Elwin can employ to avoid war and, with it, taking Joshua to Phoenix Gate to gain guidance from their ancestors on how to proceed in terms of military strategy.

In his efforts to help others, he forgot the most important rule when it comes to saving people: secure yourself first, then assist others. As a result of his kind heart, he spread his own nation too thin, and put his own people in an even bleaker situation than what it otherwise would have been. (Not that the situation was anything but incredibly, incredibly dire. But if nothing else, having those resources that were provided for the refugees instead kept in reserve for Rosaria's people, and for trading with the other nations to obtain other resources that they need, would have perhaps bought them a little more time.)

#Headcanons #oh my god someone take my ability to type away from me because I am just. rambling away LOL #If you read through this post by some chance -- I love you and also I am so sorry that I talk so much

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