#or he attacks Dan. there's determination on his face

[keyotos]

i am absolutely in love with ur writing AND with gepard landau,, can i request a first kiss fic for him? i read your kiss the girl fic for dan heng and ITS SO GOOD!! tysm in advance, take care of yourself!

teenage dream

summary ⎯ gepard knows he can't keep these feelings to himself. gepard also knows that he can never tell you about how he feels. so, he goes to the person he tells all his secrets to: serval. serval, who told pela. pela, who is determined to set you two up. and doing so, entails a bookish adventure for you to enjoy.

tana's words ⎯ i too am in love with gepard. i feel u anon. also thank u for the kind words!

tags ⎯ matchmaking (serval and pela). first kiss. pining (this should be expected). bookish!reader. bookstore owner!reader. oblivious idiots.

IT’S EXTREMELY SURPRISING TO HEAR GEPARD frantically knocking on the doors of nevermore workshop, so serval obviously had to open the doors for him.

when he entered, gepard immediately shut the doors as if he was being followed. the expression on his face was dire; he looked as if he was chased by wolves and he was being hunted down.

“gepard?” serval asked, concern dripping in her tone, “what the hell happened?”

“serval,” gepard panted. serval was getting worried; this was all irregular behavior coming from gepard, “i need help.”

gepard never asked for help. he is one of the most self-sufficient and stubborn people serval knows. he would rather stare death in the face instead of asking someone for help.

“what is it?” serval rushed by his side, “whatever you need, i got you.”

“i think i have feelings for,” gepard sighed, palm dragging across his face, “the owner of the bookstore,” he finishes quietly.

serval’s jaw dropped. it wasn’t because of the declaration of gepard’s crush. it was that he made it sound so dramatic. serval thought that he was being tracked down and was about to be sent to the madhouse.

“are you serious!” serval shoved gepard, “i thought you were about to die or something!”

gepard recoiled at serval’s shove; his sister was stronger than most people thought, “it feels like i am! every time i’m around them my heart rate quickens so much that i think i’m about to have a heart attack. i get all nervous on the inside and i can barely think with them beside me.”

aeons, gepard has definitely fallen in love with you.

“wait⎯so, where are you gonna go from here?” serval leaned on the counter, trying to process all the words her brother confessed.

“that’s the thing,” gepard sighed again. he sounded like a lovesick puppy, “i don’t know. that’s why i came here, i thought you’d be able to help.”

“um. you are aware of my past relationship with cocolia, right? i think i’m like the least qualified person you should be asking romance advice from,” serval pointed out.

“i don’t know who else i could tell,” gepard ran a hand through his hair. this was really stressing him out.

“how about you just… tell them?” serval suggested.

“no!!” gepard shook his head distraughtly, “i can’t do that. what if they don’t feel the same?”

“then it’s not meant to be,” serval said, “simple as that.”

“but it’s not,” gepard whined. serval thought he was making this a lot more complicated than it needed to be. when she was his age, she confessed her feelings to cocolia like it was nothing. they were happy until the break up anyway.

but then it donned on serval. gepard had little to no relationship experience. the only “experience” serval remembers him having was when they were children: his friend had a crush on him and tried to confessed, but gepard rejected her.

that’s why gepard was so distressed. he had no idea how to go on with this. these feelings for you? all new. what he missed out as a teenager, he is now getting as an adult.

“tell you what,” serval wrapped her arm around her brother’s shoulder, “i’ll get this sorted out. trust me. yn will never know about this,” she reassured him.

“you just go along with your guardly duties. i’ll help you,” serval grinned. she knew that she had the perfect plan. except, she couldn’t do it alone.

pela already knew about your crush on the silvermane guard captain. every time he greeted the two of you at the book store, pela practically saw the hearts in your eyes. it was sickening and disgusting, but it was cute too.

what pela didn’t know, however, was that gepard has a crush on you as well.

serval came to pela just a few minutes after gepard’s confession. she knew that she probably shouldn’t have told pela right after the conversation happened, but serval didn’t know how else to console gepard.

“so… you’re telling me that they both like each other?!” serval slammed her hands on the counter. “and they’re both too scared to confess!?”

“that’s exactly what i said, yes,” pela monotonously replied.

you knew that there couldn’t be anything between you and gepard. it was highly improbable that you, a bookstore owner, would be able to gain the captain of the silvermane guard’s interest. it seemed like something straight out of a fictional (key word: fictional) romance novel.

so you appreciated his friendship while he was around. sometimes, as a way to become closer to the captain, you’d suggest different books to him every week. despite being on the front lines quite often, he always comes back to see you. well, he comes back for the books anyway.

serval groaned into her hands, “so what do we do? they both like each other but they literally can’t bear to admit it.”

pela smirked. she’s read enough romance novels to figure out what to do next.

“two words, serval,” pela smirked, “grand. gesture.”

gepard took a few deep breaths before approaching your book store. after his chat with serval, he's been distressed the entire day. he had these feelings for you storming all over his body; occasionally, they'd get so strong that it would feel like those feelings would overtake him.

he opened the door, book in hand, and greeted you formally. gepard couldn't help it: he was so nervous, he wasn't able to function straight.

"hello, captain gepard," you turned around. you were on a latter stacking books on top of bookshelves. originally, you thought it would be cool to have towering shelves, however you quickly learned that it was extremely impractical and difficult.

"i told you," gepard stood near the counter, refusing to slouch in your presence, "you can call me gepard."

"and i told you," you grunted, trying to reach a higher spot on a shelf, "to drop the formalities," you grinned to yourself.

gepard noticed your (potentially) perilous situation and quickly got near the end of the latter. in the case that you fall, at least gepard would be there to catch you.

fortunately, you made your way down the tall latter peacefully. as you descended, the sight of gepard holding down the latter for you made you flush. it was the bare minimum, but it still made your heart speed up.

when he reached out his hand to guide you down (it was out of instinct), you gave him a warm smile. it looked easy on the outside, but you were burning up on the inside. similarly, gepard had the same reaction. for you, he'd do anything.

"thank you," you held onto his hand for a little longer. once you realized what you were doing you quickly recoiled your hand away and apologized. gepard wished your hand was still entwined with his; he wanted to hold onto to the feeling of your hand in his. gepard wanted to trace patterns on your hands, wanted to feel every part of them.

as an attempt to dissipate the tension (it was making you nervous), you decided to ask gepard for help. "we had a busy day yesterday. a best seller recently came out; people were storming the shelves. good for my profit but not good for my sanity," you let out an airy laugh, "would you mind helping me clean up?"

realizing what you just did (asking the captain of the silvermane guards for help) you quickly added, "unless you're busy! then i'll be okay. you can leave. i'll be fine," you rambled.

gepard parted his lips, almost as if he was about to say something. how could you ever think he wouldn't make time for you? even so, he'd deploy a few other guards if you needed help. he'd make sure your needs were met as soon as possible.

he reached his arm out; his hands were close to your collarbone. then he reached back, scared of what would happen next. how silly. the captain of the silvermane guards was not scared of no monster, but of rejection of the one he likes.

"i'll stay for anything," gepard blurted. you were taken aback for a second, but then once you realized what he had just said, you tucked a piece of hair behind your ear and covertly pinched yourself to make sure that whatever was happening was not a dream.

gepard didn't intend to add, "anything," to his sentence. but his mind was thinking it, and then it just accidentally came out. he meant what he said though. if the bluntness of his voice didn't show his sincerity, the blush that was slowly grazing his face probably did.

"thank you, gepard," you bit the inside of your lip to keep yourself from beaming too hard. you had to turn away from the captain once again, for your smile at his words would be too embarrassing to show. how silly of you to act so giddy and childish at one simple word.

gepard thinks he could hear you say his name a million times, and he would never get bored. he wants to hear his name on your lips as if it were a mantra; you've said his name a few times before, and each time he swears he gets more and more addicted to the sound.

"how about i start on the right and you'll start on the left. that way, we'll both finish in the middle!" you clapped your hands together. you gave gepard a reassuring smile.

you two started on opposite sides, but how gepard wished that you two would be closer. however, there are positives to this situation. gepard can brainstorm ideas for the "grand gesture" pela and serval texted him about.

gepard already had ideas in mind. he just needed to figure out the material for them. he obviously will not tear out papers from a book; that will cause more harm than good (for you and gepard; he cares about books).

while gepard was planning, you were blushing. you still couldn't believe he actually stayed with you. surely, there are more important deeds than helping out a leisurely bookstore owner. and this was the most boring task ever: organizing books. yet, gepard was still here. and he was only a few feet away from you.

you turned back to observe gepard; you wanted to see if you had trapped him in a boring task or not. to your surprise, gepard seemed to be enjoying this. he would flip through pages of various books, spend time reading the summaries; gepard would even go as far to reading the first few pages of some books.

gepard liked to read. at first, he started coming to the bookstore to fetch some books for pela. however, after he met you, he began to adopt a newfound interest in books that he never had before. he read some of pela's books, discovered that he did not like them, and went to browse for more. that's when you came up. you thought you had talked his entire ear off that entire morning; you went on and on and on about what kind of books he would like.

you tried to ignore him afterwards; you even offered the books for free because you were so embarrassed. but gepard kept coming back. your recommendations impressed him: gepard had never met anyone who was so meticulous at their craft. and he loved hearing you talk. he loved your rambles, your rants, your reviews. maybe that was the first sign.

gepard caught your gaze as he turned around. he had the same motivation as you: he wanted to see how you were faring in this task. did you miss the proximity you had before? are you flustered as well? do you like him too?

you two were both staring at each other, thoughts racing, until you shouted, "see something you like?" to break the tension.

gepard thought the question was a taunt at first; similar to asking, "like what you see?"

"no!" he abruptly shouted, trying to hide the fact that he was just staring at you. and then he realized the real meaning of your question: he was browsing the books with such intensity. the truth was, he was trying to find your favorite books. you've informed him about them before, always on your bookish rants. he was going to use them for his gesture later on.

thinking that he now looks like an idiot, gepard tries to save himself by shouting back, "i mean⎯ yes! i do. these books are nice," he tried to cover up.

you seemed not to register his mistake, as you tell him, "whatever you want, it's on the house. for your work today. it'll be on the house for life!" you put some books on some shelves and move closer to the middle.

gepard shook his head and chuckled, "you've always given books to me for free." he put some books back and continued around the room.

"are you complaining?" you raised an eyebrow, "what if i just kept a tab on you this entire time? and you never knew?" more books get put away.

"then i'd rightfully pay you back," gepard wholeheartedly responded, "or i'd arrest you," he joked.

you mock-gasped, "for what?" you're getting closer to the middle now.

stealing my heart, the intrusive part of gepard's mind thought. he'd been hanging out with serval too much; he would never say that. gepard internally cringed.

"false advertising," he moved closer to the middle, “i don't know," he smiled to himself. gepard doesn't think he would have the heart to arrest you.

you blushed at hearing the captain lost on amendments. the captain wouldn't know how to arrest you. is this flirting? or are you reading too much into it?

you don't know if the heat on the back of your neck is from gepard's words or the sun shining so brightly on the back of your neck. you stack some more books on shelves; you've now reached the middle. you're having trouble reaching one of the shelves, but you're too lost in your thoughts to even think about that.

in fact, you're too lost in your thoughts that you don't even notice the warmth disappear from the back of your neck. your cheeks are still warm, so you are still blushing. your struggles with the tall bookshelf are lost when you feel a hand over yours.

"i'll take that," gepard quietly mumbles. it's so quiet that you didn't hear it at first.

on instinct, you turn towards him. when you looked at the position the both of you were in, you noticed that you were caged against him. you were caged against the captain of the silvermane guards. against a bookshelf.

gepard towered over you. his body was centimeters closer to fully pressing on you. his breath was fanning on your face. you could see every detail of his face from your view from below. your hands were so close to grazing his chest, so you immediately slapped them to your sides. you gulp, you start to breath quicker, and you feel like you're about to combust.

you swallowed, trying not to move. you were frozen in place as you tried not to disturb gepard. you gaped at him as he was working to organize the books, not noticing the position the two of you were in.

when gepard finished, he gave a sigh of relief. he underestimated your job: if you had to do this every day, you were probably stronger than some of his soldiers. when he opened his eyes, he was greeted by your wide eyes staring right into his.

he was breath-taken by your beauty. the look in your eyes as you look into his was captivating. gepard needed it framed. the way your lips parted made him go feral; his heart stuttered with every second he looked at you.

his arm was pinned above your head. your bodies were so close that you kept focusing on the rise and fall of gepard’s chest. the way his expression scanned yours made you want to quiver against him.

you said the first sentence, “hard work?” your tone was breathless. you were still trying to catch your breath.

“yeah,” he sighed, still not noticing the way your bodies curved into each other, “hard work.”

“did i waste your time?” you whispered. it was quiet, like you were ashamed of your actions. you looked down at his chest rather than his face.

“no,” gepard leaned in, trying to hear your voice one more time. he tilted your head up slightly with his fingers so you could look at him, “you’d never.”

silence crippled the room. it was just you and gepard, the two of you leaning oh-so-close together that your lips were nearly about to touch. a part of you wanted to lean into him; you wanted to pull him closer and closer until you were both out of breath.

but that was delusional. that was something straight out of romance novels, and your life was anything but.

gepard leaned in closer on purpose. he gave into temptation and wanted to feel your lips on his. he wanted to grab you by the waist and pull you so tightly into him. he wanted this: he wanted your kiss, he wanted your insight, he wanted you.

but with gepard, want is not something one could have. especially one like him.

“i’m sorry,” he abruptly let go, “i’m⎯i think, i have something i need to do,” he took a few steps back away from you, leaving about three feet in distance. quite the opposite from how you two were positioned a few seconds ago.

“oh,” you let go immediately. “i’m sorry! i didn’t know,” you quickly ran to the other side of the room. you wanted to hide from embarrassment.

“not your fault!” gepard shouted as he headed for the exit, “goodbye mx yn!”

you didn’t bother to say goodbye as you slammed the door shut after he left. what just happened was mortifying. the position you two were in? the way you two gradually leaned closer to each other? no wonder he ran away, you thought, you must’ve scared him off.

oh, if only you knew how wrong you were.

you didn't see gepard for a week after the incident. he hadn't come into the bookstore at all the entire week. however, that also could've been your fault: you've been in and out of the bookstore for the past week. if you faced gepard after the incident (you've dubbed), you'd probably apologize and beg for forgiveness.

but still, wouldn't he come in and leave a note? wouldn't he at least stop by once? did you scare him off that badly? the more you thought about it, the more you thought about becoming a hermit.

you'd thought you terrified him and ruined your friendship (and any future hope of a relationship) until flowers appeared on the counter of the bookstore. your assistant refused to let you know who they were from.

you bent down and eyed the pot of flowers sitting on the counter. they were your favorite color: pink. you had to admit, they were gorgeous. they looked well grown, as if these were from a master gardener. the flowers bloomed perfectly, each petal reaching out for the sun.

the message of the flowers also intrigued you. begonias are the flowers that symbolizes knowledge and deep thoughts. whoever gifted these to you must have been very observant or they wanted to be your intern.

"did someone come by asking to be my intern?" you stood up and put your hands on your hips. your lip twisted in thought. you were a bit preoccupied at the moment; the bookstore was getting exceptionally busy and (with your whole gepard crisis going on) you didn't think you were fit to be a mentor at the moment.

"no," your assistant shook her head. you leaned back on the counter, wondering why (and who) would gift you flowers on such a strange day. you already knew it wasn't gepard, due to the awkward tension surrounding the both of you right now, so you had a big list to narrow down.

"but," your assistant continued, "someone dropped off this letter with the flowers. they told me to give it to you after you saw the flowers," your assistant handed you the letter.

it was very formal, the letter. it's envelope was very extravagant, fit for someone with high standards. the stamp was still warm, meaning that this letter had been written recently. you tore open the envelope to reveal it's contents.

yn,

please do me the honor of accompanying me to everwinter cafe tonight. i would really appreciate seeing you there.

gl

"g.l." you paused, "as in green lantern?!" you asked your assistant, wide eyes and all. "who is trying to cosplay as a superhero to talk to me? this is insane. did i owe someone a book or something? charged them extra?" you panicked.

your assistant frowned at your idiocy. who else could 'gl' entail to besides gepard landau? "what if it's the captain," your assistant urged on, nudging your shoulder.

"it couldn't be the captain," you jolted. does your assistant know? "we barely even talk," you try to reason.

"he comes in here nearly every day," your assistant counters, "if not every day, be it every other day," they sighed.

"he just comes in to look at books," you placed the flowers in a safe space in the shelves. "we don't converse as often as you think."

"you talk every day," you assistant drags on. "you're telling me that the two of you have no relations whatsoever?"

"we⎯it's complicated," you sighed, "long story short, it could never be the captain," you looked down at the plant. even if it was gepard, what was he doing? sending anonymous flowers? cryptic notes? why couldn't he just talk to you?

"you should go," your assistant encouraged, "you never know. it could be the captain or it could be another potential secret admirer."

"you think?" you raised an eyebrow. your assistant nodded in response.

you looked at the flowers one more time. though you wished it was gepard who sent them, you knew it was probably someone else trying to flatter you into taking them in as an intern. but as you stared at the begonias, no other thoughts beside gepard consumed your mind

it was late when you walked to everwinter cafe. tonight was not a particularly chilly night, but belobog's slight chill was ever present.

you walked around aimlessly, trying to walk slowly so you can prolong the sight of your "intern." you tried to focus on other things as you walked past, such as the plants and heaters surrounding the city. it's wondrous how things such as plants are still able to flourish in times like these.

as you viewed your surroundings, you saw a note placed on a lamppost close to the cafe. it read, "'i know you're working. i wanted to be somewhere...' safe? familiar? comfortable? 'near you.'

you automatically knew which book that quote was from. book lovers by emily henry. it was your favorite romance book; you've raved about it many times with gepard.

as you continued, you saw another note, "'if you saw yourself the way other people see you, you'd never doubt again.' 'how do people see me?' 'like you're the most beautiful, most remarkable, thing they've ever seen."

you must admit, you blushed a little bit while internally reading that. the only reason you blushed was that because you discussed that quote with gepard. you were talking about the 'twisted' series and how it had it's pros and cons with gepard, and this quote was one of the pros.

another read, "'who are they? the best part of my day.'"

another, "books she has found, are a way to live a thousand lives."

and the last, "'favorite word?' 'you.'"

you quickly noticed that these were all quotes from your favorite books. these are books you've only discussed and rambled about with one person: gepard. you'd never thought he would've actually read these books. let alone, you'd never thought gepard would also quote them.

with slightly more hope than before, you ran up to everwinter cafe.

"did you get my message?" gepard stood tall in front of you. you couldn't look into his eyes and it was killing him.

"your letter? yes, i did. and your flowers too. they were beautiful," you rocked back and forth on your heels.

"thank you, i grew them myself," he gave you a soft smile. you wanted to talk about how he managed to even grow such beautiful flowers, but how could you talk to him if you couldn't even look at him in the eyes? "but, did you get my message?"

you looked down at the many notes in your hand. it turns out gepard had left notes after all, "oh yes. i did," you blushed at the obvious context of the quotes. "all my favorite books."

"yeah," gepard spoke breathlessly, as if all of his air had run out after he started speaking to you, "but did you get my message?" he looked at your face for any type of indication: whether you liked him back, hated him, or had no strong feelings towards him. his eyes darted throughout your face, and the sight made you slightly flustered. he was leaning over you, and you thought you saw his eyes graze over your lips.

then it donned on you. the flowers. the letter. the sneaking out at night. the romantic context of all the quotes. the way all the quotes were from your favorite books that you've only talked about with him. the way gepard has admired and remembered every single thing about you. your stomach dropped as you realized gepard had been feeling the same things you have felt for him this entire time. your heart pounded in your chest as you finally met his eyes in the pale moonlight.

"yes," you swiftly exhaled. it was like all your hidden feelings for gepard were compacted in your chest, and when you finally breathed, they were all let out. it was like all your troubles were leaving you, "i did."

"and..." gepard trailed off, now failing to meet you in the eyes. he was terrified of your rejection; your opinion was one of the things that mattered most to him. before, he regarded it was his passion for the people, but now he recognizes that he was just passionate for you. "did you like it?"

"i loved it," you smiled; it wasn't just a soft smile this time, like the ones you've always given him. it was a big smile: loud and talkative, much like you. one smile could convey so much.

but you still had thoughts, "i didn't need all of this though," you grabbed his hand for reassurance. you were in range of his lips. you could close the gap right now.

gepard froze; your words and your touch made him tense. he was finally able to look you in the eye, having prepared himself for iminent rejection and was ready to leave. whatever you needed, he would do.

"what do you need?" gepard asked frantically. "whatever you need, i will give it to you. whether it be space or never seeing me again."

what you needed? you needed his thoughts, his opinions, his reassurance. you needed his touch on a cold night, you needed his arm around you when you were cold, you needed to feel him beside you on nights similar to this. you needed everything that he was.

"i need you," you whispered up on his lips. "right now."

and gepard swore the entirety of everwinter city heard his heart drop to the ground. he was sure that you could feel his heart pounding in his chest after you said those five words. only five words, yet gepard felt like he was going insane. he was going insane for you: your touch, your mind, your words, your entirety.

gepard removed his hand from yours for just one second, using it to tip your chin up so you could be in his view. in the pale moonlight, you were gorgeous. to be fair, you were always gorgeous, but something about tonight extenuated your beauty.

"can i⎯"

"don't even ask," you cut him off, leaning into him.

the kiss was soft and sweet at first. the feeling of your lips pressed onto his was heavenly: gepard felt ten times stronger with you than with anything else. it was gentle and tender.

but when you tugged your arms around his neck, all restraint went out the window.

gepard moved his hand from your chin to your waist, pulling you closer into him. it was bold for his first kiss, but who could blame him when you're holding onto to him so tightly?

you threaded your hands through his hair as he kissed you feverishly. his hands on your waist made you want to combust into him. you were standing on your toes at this point; if you tried to stand any taller, gepard was about to lift you up into the air.

when you finally stopped to breath, all that was left in the air was your love and the light from the sky.

"was i your first kiss?" you asked him coyly, arms still wrapped around his neck.

gepard blushed and you immediately knew his answer to your question. you stood up one more time to give him one more quick kiss.

yes, you were his first kiss. and gepard wished for more to come.

i need a week off after this fic i swear to god

[jake-s-azaleea]

I was enchanted to meet you ♡

One shot

pairing: Jake x (fem)/MC

another characters: Jessy, Dan, Lilly, Thomas, Cleo.

warning: Contains spoilers from Episode 10 Duskwood, mentions of blood.

The action takes place during the 10th episode.

.......

As they booked the cabin in the woods to escape the sorrowful town they have lived in, the chaos never seemed to fade away. MC, looking at her phone in disbelief, waiting for Richy's message where he texts her he's okay, is trapped in making a strenuous decision.

He wasn't going back wasn't he? The memories flooded back to her like a relentless storm. The MC's heart raced as she relived the chilling moment when she witnessed her friend Richy being viciously attacked. The sight of him coughing blood, his eyes reflecting a mix of fear and pain, haunted her every thought. She clenched her fists, feeling the anger and helplessness surge within her. The MC's determination to seek justice for Richy burned brighter amidst the darkness of the town she was about to make a decision to go in.

Her mind told them to continue searching for Hannah. That's what she promised to Jake.

Her heart on the other way... It was screaming to her to go there. To be with them. It wasn't fair she was watching from afar how her friends suffered and were constantly exposed to the danger as she was powerless sitting at home.

The clock was ticking.

Tic.

Tac.

MC: Save me a bed.

Jessy: Whaaat?

Cleo: Are you coming in duskwood?

MC: You don't really think I would let you guys go alone.

Thomas: You sure?

MC: Of course. I'm packing my bags right now. See you there.

Lilly: Text me when you get in duskwood, I'll pick you up.

MC: Great

Lilly is now offline.

Jessy: See you soon!!

Jessy is now offline.

Thomas, Cleo and Dan are now offline.

She packed her bags taking the most important things she could think of and ran straight to the train station.

She got on the train and sat down looking at the window when her phone buzzed.

Jake is now online.

'You've got to be kidding me' she humbled.

Jake: You're not going anywhere.

MC: too late

Jake: Where are you?

MC: Two stops away from the destination

Jake: You promised.

MC: I don't expect you to understand. It's not your friend who died in the forest.

Jake is now offline.

'Great...'

The train stopped once in Colville when a face so strange yet so familiar walked in. After a few hours the phone rang.

Duskwood groupchat

Jake is now online.

Jake: I will be there too.

Jake is now offline.

Dan is now online .

Dan: Yo what?

Dan: That is something hackerboy.

She looked up from her phone straight at the mystery man. He smirked at her, standing up to get off at the next stop: Duskwood.

After she got off the train she looked around just to realise that the man was nowhere to be seen.

he disappeared.

Just like that.

'Hmm, that was strange" she whispered.

Duskwood groupchat

Lilly: Where are you?

MC: Just got off the train.

Lilly: Pick you up in front of the cafe?

MC: I'll be there in 5.

When she got there Lilly was already out of the car and ran straight to her.

"It's so good to see you!"

"Oh my goodness, same to you"

"We should get going, let's not let the others wait"

"Of course, open the trunk first, please"

After they finished piling MC 's luggage in the back, they left to Roger's Garage, where they would also meet the others.

Her head was full of thoughts. That man. The hut. Jake. Richy. What would the others think of her? The wall of ideas was shattered by Lilly when she broke the silence.

"Have you spoken to Jake in the meantime?"

"No... Not yet." I sighed.

"Well, you will soon" Lilly said with a sweet smile.

"Well, yeah I guess, I know he's mad but we have to continue the investigation."

Lilly looked at her smiling innocently, continuing to drive the roads that seemed so familiar to MC: this is where Jessy was attacked, this is where Dan worked, oh and this is where Jessy's brother Phil works. The town felt like home for a couple of minutes.

When the car arrived at the garage, a strange feeling surrounded her. She got out of the car and looking at the others she ran to hug Jessy.

"I can't believe you're actually here, MC."

"Me neither to be fully honest"

"I thought your hackerboy didn't allow you to be here" Dan said laughing.

"Oh well, I'm here, that's all that matters"

"So am I."

She looked around in the midst of jokes and chatter among her friends, a sudden hush fell over the group as a faint sound caught the MC's attention. With a quick turn of her head, her gaze locked onto the figure of a man, standing at the edge of the clearing. Time seemed to stand still as their eyes met, a mix of surprise and longing reflected in his expression. The forest around them seemed to hold its breath, creating a moment suspended in uncertainty and unspoken emotions.

"Jake."

"Hello, MC."

Her cheeks turned pink and her heart was pounding. She felt the eyes of her friends peeling off her skin as they maintained the eye contact.

That's how she met him 🤍

***

so this is a little oneshot I wrote 2 years ago and left it in drafts. if it's catchy, maybe I'll write an aftermath of it 🤭

[teaberrii]

Chapter 21: The Final Trigger

You've been Cupid for as long as you can remember. You've brought countless soulmates together, yet you've never found love.

When you're assigned to bring two childhood friends back together, it should be simple until you unexpectedly catch feelings for the mysterious and cold Ph.D. student, Dan Heng, the man with a soulmate… the man with answers to your past.

Dan Heng/You

Notes:

Cross-posted on Ao3

Female reader

Chapter index at the end of chapter one

Luocha couldn’t sleep.

He’d been tossing and turning for hours, unable to forget what happened earlier. As promised, he tried using magic to see into the maid’s memories. Why did she suddenly attack Jing Yuan’s wife? What happened before that? However, no matter what Luocha tried, he came up empty. After many hours, he dismissed her, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice. It was discouraging enough that he couldn’t determine what happened to the king. Now, the pattern was repeating itself.

The king was dead, yet alive. That was the best way Luocha could explain the king’s current state. His father was no longer himself; he was a shell of the person he used to be.

Jing Yuan was also getting increasingly impatient. His wife was getting worse. Not only was she strangely losing a lot of weight, but the added stress was causing her hair to fall out. Luocha hadn’t seen her in weeks. Not because he didn’t want to, but because she had begun locking herself in her shared room with Jing Yuan. She refused to see anyone, believing she’d become a “monster.”

Luocha sat up. Perhaps a quiet, early morning walk would calm his nerves.

The doctor was welcomed by a cool breeze when he stepped out of his room. As he headed toward the garden, he looked up at the moon… and he suddenly thought of you.

Where were you now? Were you eating well? Did you find a new life? Then, Luocha began thinking about the past. Would things have turned out differently if he had told you why Young had to die? Would you have understood?

“...You tricked her?” Luocha had asked.

“It was the only way,” Jing Yuan said. “My mother believes the princess is dead. She’ll leave her alone.”

“Regardless, what you did was… it was beyond what was necessary. You didn’t kill Young. You… slaughtered him.”

Jing Yuan’s gaze hardened. “What’s your point?”

“I didn’t think you hated him this much.” Luocha leaned against the wall. “You really were in love with my sister… and you couldn’t bear that she was in love with your half-brother, the man who also grew up with your mother’s love.”

Luocha’s eyes widened when he felt a sudden gust of air near his cheek. He slowly looked to the side and saw a knife that narrowly missed his face.

“Are we done here?” Jing Yuan asked.

Luocha pushed himself off the wall and left the room.

That was all in the past. It was too late.

When Luocha reached the garden, he saw Jing Yuan’s handmaiden sitting on the small wooden bench beside the pond. Luocha stared from afar, not knowing the woman he was looking at was you.

He approached you, and by the time he was close enough, you asked, “Are the demons keeping you awake?” It was a question that took Luocha off guard. But, before he answered, he glanced at the empty seat beside you. As if reading his mind, you said, “Go ahead.”

“I could ask you the same thing,” Luocha said, sitting next to you. “Why are you awake at this hour?"

"To get a little peace and quiet. The king... Jing Yuan's wife... They are on the lips of everyone at the palace. It's almost impossible not to hear about them."

Luocha glanced at the koi swimming up to him. "You're a little different from everyone else.”

“Excuse me?”

“I mean that in a good way. You seem much more educated than the other maids.”

“I didn’t know you were paying so much attention to me.”

“It was Jing Yuan who noticed it first.”

Luocha saw your gaze harden as you said, “Oh? Is that so?”

“...Who were you before you came to the palace?”

You slightly smiled. “Me? Just a woman… living a simple life in the village.”

“No family?”

“No.”

“...Have you… ever heard anything about the princess?”

A slight pause.

“No."

“I see…” Luocha sadly smiled. “I… I miss her. My sister.”

Another pause.

“Have you tried looking for her?”

“Even if I did, things wouldn’t be the same. She wouldn’t want to see me.” When you remained silent, Luocha cleared his throat. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make things awkward.”

“I’m sure she’s well,” you said, without looking at him. “Women nowadays are learning to stand up for themselves… and becoming independent.”

“Yes, that’s true. Though, I would say my sister paved the way. I still occasionally hear the maids talking about her. Some always witnessed her studying and doing things outside of what women were allowed to do. She inspired them.”

No response.

So, Luocha said, “Well, I must be off.”

“Are you going to see the king?”

“...Yes. How did you know?”

You looked at him. "Call it a hunch. Your face looks like you're carrying the world on your shoulders." You stood. “Good luck… Master Luocha. I hope you find out what’s wrong before it’s too late.”

Luocha watched you walk away, your words echoing in his mind. Soon, he, too, was on his way, walking in the opposite direction. He was almost to the king’s quarters when someone came running around the corner and knocked into him. Luocha caught himself, but the guard did not and struggled to get up. Then, Luocha saw a wound on the guard's arm. It looked like a bite mark.

The guard quickly stood. “M-Master Luocha! What are you doing here?”

“Your arm…” Luocha stepped toward him, but the guard pulled down his sleeve in an attempt to hide it.

“Are you going to see the king?” But before Luocha could reply, the guard said, “He’s… He’s in a rather bad mood right now.”

“Did he attack you?”

“Um, well, that’s…”

Another guard appeared from behind the corner. He was panting as he said, “Master Luocha! P-Please come immediately!”

When Luocha arrived at his father’s room, the door was open.

“He… He’s in his room,” the guard behind Luocha said as the doctor cautiously entered his father’s messy quarters.

Everything was in disarray. Bloody fingerprints were on the floor, walls, and the furniture. The closer Luocha got to his father’s room, he heard mumbling and flesh being torn apart.

“...I’ll teach them a lesson.”

Luocha carefully looked through the crack in the door, and his face went pale when he saw his father tearing a piece of flesh from a guard’s unconscious body.

“This will teach them,” his father muttered. “This will teach them… not to mess with the king.”

“M-Master Luocha—”

Luocha didn’t have time to shush the guard when he saw his father turn around and lunge at them.

It’s morning, but Luocha hasn’t been able to enjoy his daily coffee like he always does. He can’t stop thinking about how monstrous his father looked. His messy and frizzy hair, foggy eyes, and bloodstained face. Luocha believes that was the moment the king was truly gone.

Then, Luocha remembers the woman by the pond. He might’ve not realized it the first time, but the woman must've been you. Were you waiting for things to spiral out of control? Did he ever find out who you were? The more he sees, the hungrier he gets. He wants all of the answers, but it’s as if the curse is forcing him to wait.

“You look well.”

Startled, Luocha turns around and sees Lan sitting on his couch.

“Are you switching targets?” Luocha asks. “Haunting me instead of Jing Yuan?”

“If I had a choice, I wouldn’t choose either of you.” Lan turns to the doctor. “Cupid, Dan Heng, and Pom are with Jing Yuan.”

Luocha thinks back to his conversation with Jing Yuan earlier. What’s he planning? “More the merrier to try to rekindle an old friendship, I suppose.”

“Nanook and I have been looking into The Withering. The curse now is supposed to drive the infected crazy as you slowly get your memories back. But, there’s a final trigger.”

“...A final trigger… Like what?”

Lan snaps his fingers, and the report that Nanook put together appears in his hand. “Nanook put this together that explains a lot about the curse. We all know that The Withering ended up being a grudge meant to infect the same people over and over again.” Lan puts the report on the table. “If the curse is meant to drive all of you crazy now… we think there has to be a final trigger.

“It could be an action. Maybe one of you killed someone you weren’t supposed to. Another could be the feeling that you lost something you value. Everyone is different and cares about different things.” Lan notices how Luocha is anxiously tapping his fingers against the counter. “When you remember that feeling or whatever you did… the consequences could be horrific.”

“In other words… the curse latched on to what we cared about and either took it away from us or… we took it away ourselves because we were infected.” Luocha almost laughs. “My dear sister was quite sadistic, wasn’t she?” 

“If we can find out what that was before you remember it, it could help ease the stress and the pain. We’re trying to keep you sane by finding things out before they happen.”

Luocha sighs. “...Well, I haven’t the slightest idea of what I could’ve done. What about Caelus?”

Lan shakes his head.

Luocha suddenly remembers the strange things he heard his father say in his dream.

“This will teach them. This will teach them… not to mess with the king.”

“...I can’t believe I didn’t notice it sooner.”

“Notice what?” Lan asks.

“My father. I”—Luocha stiffens—”My father was the king. But because of the disease, we confined him. His freedom was stripped away from him. The Withering turned them into zombies. Perhaps that was the sign that they finally lost their minds.”

“If it’s any reassurance, you won’t turn into something like that in the present.”

“But the curse evolves.”

“...Do you know something.”

“I told Cupid I withheld a lot of information," Luocha says. "The deaths… that’s something I didn’t tell anyone about. Both my father and Jing Yuan’s fianceé… they tried taking their lives before they died.”

◆◆◆

You were sitting by the pond, mulling over your thoughts as you waited until it was time for you to meet Pom. Earlier, you were carrying a tray of food to Jing Yuan’s room as ordered. You were about to knock when you heard something smash against the floor.

“I can’t! I can’t take this anymore!”

You peeked through the small crack and saw Jing Yuan’s wife attempting to gouge her eyes out before Jing Yuan stopped her.

“You’re still the same!” he insisted.

“How?” Her voice almost sounded distorted. “I look like a monster. I can't think straight. I... I'm losing everything!" She glared at him. " Your attempts at making me feel better are pathetic, Jing Yuan.”

“We’ll… We’ll find out who did this.”

The desperation in his voice made you smile until…

“I saw a woman,” his wife said, almost trembling. “...In a dream. Yesterday night. I don’t know who she is, but… I can’t shake the feeling she has something to do with all of this.”

“A woman…?”

Your smile slowly began to fade when the woman his wife began describing was... you. How was this possible? You’d never met her with your real appearance. This had to be an eerie coincidence. But then it hit you. Was this a side effect of the curse?

“...Side effects?” you had asked.

Pom nodded. “Curses as strong as this come with a side effect. I wish I could tell you what… but I’ve never created something this strong before. Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Will we be in danger?”

“I don’t think so… but it’s hard to say.”

“...The woman you just described was the princess," Jing Yuan said, dragging you back to the present.

“The one you exiled?” Jing Yuan’s wife crossed her arms over her chest, and her robe nearly fell off. “The woman you loved?”

Jing Yuan frowned. “Was that necessary?”

His wife walked past him. “Why do you always tense up when I mention her, hm?” She stopped and turned around. “What if she’s here? Would you kill her for what she did?”

“You’ve lost your mind,” Jing Yuan spat.

His wife scoffed loudly. “I can’t believe it. You… You’re still in love with her?”

“I am not.”

“Then, you wouldn’t kill her for what she’s done to me? To the king?” She walked up to him. “Who am I to you?” Then, desperately, “...Tell me I’m enough, Jing Yuan. Tell me that you love me.”

You knocked on the door.

When Jing Yuan slid it open, his wife went into hiding.

“...Put it on the table,” he said, not looking at you.

You stepped inside and put it where he’d asked. It wasn’t until you stood upright that you suddenly saw his wife a few feet away. She was glaring at you. Startled, you took a step back, but she lunged at you and forced you to the floor.

“It’s you…!”

You easily dodged her attempts at clawing at your face before Jing Yuan easily pulled her away from you. You quickly got to your feet.

“Stop! What’s gotten—”

“Can’t you see her?” she screamed.

Jing Yuan looked over his shoulder at you. Then, he looked back. “See what?”

“You’ve gone mad,” you said. Then, you bowed once. “I’ll be taking my leave.” You quickly walked out before anyone could say anything else.

The last person you were expecting to see was your brother. After that conversation, you were walking toward the maids’ living quarters until you quietly snapped your fingers when you turned the corner. One minute you were there. The next, you were gone. Or… so one thought.

You eventually head toward a small, old gate, leading to the palace's outskirts and the forest entrance. This had been the exit you frequently took as a kid to sneak out. As you got older, it had also been your exit to meet Young. But, now it was sealed off.

You put a hand on the gate when you saw a black and white cat with bright blue eyes walking along the top of the wall. The feline lay down and used his paw to clean his face. Then, he looked at you as if waiting in anticipation.

You muttered something under your breath. You blinked once, and you were on the other side looking at Pom who was leaning against a large tree trunk.

“...You’ll never believe what just happened,” you said.

Jing Yuan is lying on the couch when Pom leans over and squints, examining the hole in Jing Yuan’s chest.

“You really got him good, Cupid.”

Jing Yuan frowns. “That’s it? That’s all you have to say?”

“It's a miracle that you lived!”

Jing Yuan rolls his eyes. “Don’t tell me you came all this way just to tell me I’m one lucky bastard.” Then, he sighs. “Or, is this about Lan telling you I wanted to apologize?”

“I’m here to give two options,” you say to Jing Yuan, sitting next to Dan Heng. “You can wait and let the wound heal on its own. The process won’t be as painful. Or”—you frown—“you can cry while I stitch you back together.”

Jing Yuan narrows his eyes. “Why? You tried to murder me the last two times… I doubt you’d forgive me this quickly. There’s a catch.”

“You can thank Dan Heng then,” Pom says.

Before coming to Jing Yuan's place, you and Pom had come to Dan Heng’s apartment for breakfast. Pom and Gepard had gone out to get some groceries while you and Dan Heng had just finished setting the table. Dan Heng took your hand, and soon, your back was against the counter. His hands went to your shoulders.

“...You want me to what?” you asked. “I… I don’t want to.”

“I don’t blame you,” Dan Heng said. “But… let’s try talking to him. Lan did say he wanted to apologize, didn’t he?”

“Yeah, well, I doubt how genuine that would be,” you muttered.

Dan Heng kisses your forehead. “At least we can say we gave it a shot. If we didn’t, we would be part of the problem.”

You sighed. “...Yeah, you’re right.”

Dan Heng hugged you while you leaned into him and eventually put your arms around him. Your head was against his chest when you heard him say, “I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you.”

Then, you looked up as one of his hands went around your head. He leaned forward, and his soft lips touched yours—

“Spare me the details,” Jing Yuan says sarcastically.

When Pom catches you and Dan Heng giving him a deadpan look, he says, “I swear we didn’t see anything else!”

“Anyway,” Jing Yuan says, looking at Dan Heng. “I’m glad someone has a voice of reason.” Then, Jing Yuan turns to you. “Will this be quick, Sweetheart?”

“That depends,” you deadpan. “If you continue with those ridiculous nicknames, I'll make every stitch burn.”

“Did someone say burn? Who or what are we burnin’, huh?”

Jing Yuan rolls his eyes. “I should’ve known I was getting one more babysitter.”

The God of Destruction is leaning against the archway leading into the living room. “Well, General, unfortunately, I’m not here to be anyone’s playmate.” As Nanook walks in, he says, “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you need to speed up on the whole getting-my-memories-back-and-lets-all-be-friends thing.”

“Did something happen?” Dan Heng asks.

After Nanook tells you about the final trigger theory, he says, “...Caelus is close.”

“What else did he remember?” Pom asks.

“...Nothing that can lead us to determine what he might’ve done. But... he remembers Stelle. There were a lot of fights between them,” Nanook continues. Then, he looks at Jing Yuan. “Apparently, they were because of you.”

Jing Yuan groans as Pom asks, “Why is it when trouble happens, it’s always you?”

“I wish I could tell you,” Jing Yuan mutters. “Truly, I do.”

“Caelus helped Jing Yuan kill Young,” Dan Heng says, and everyone looks at him. “But before that… Young met Stelle. At least, he saved her.”

“Oh… Now here’s an interesting development,” Nanook says with a smile. “Don’t tell me we have a love triangle happenin’ here.”

“We have enough drama to deal with,” Pom says.

Nanook scoffs. “You make it sound like you’re the one dealing with it, Rabbit.”

“Have you talked to Stelle?” Dan Heng asks.

“That’s my next stop,” Nanook says. “But… I’d rather have a… normal introduction than popping in and scaring her half to death."

“...Doing that is more complicated than you think,” you say quietly.

Dan Heng agrees. “Yes… We’ll have to tell her everything that’s going on.”

“We don’t even know if Stelle is Caelus’s”—Jing Yuan makes air quotation with his hands—”’final trigger’. It might not even be worth getting her involved in this.”

“Wow,” Pom says. “Someone has a heart.”

Jing Yuan gives him a deadpan look. “Guess almost losin’ it made me want to use it a little more.”

“Anyway,” Nanook says, “Lan and I will continue keeping an eye on Caelus.”

“I’ll go see him tomorrow,” Dan Heng says. “...Perhaps Stelle tried convincing him not to kill Young.”

Pom crosses one leg over the other. “Y’know… I just had the wildest thought.”

“Well, don’t keep it all to yourself,” Jing Yuan says. “Enlighten us.”

“What if… What if Stelle fell in love with Young?”

“From meeting him once?” Nanook asks. “Girl falls in love too fast.”

“It’s just speculation,” you say. “Let’s focus on the facts.”

“Aw, don’t tell me someone’s jealous.”

You glare at him. “I’m not.”

Jing Yuan also smiles. “Why so defensive, Sweetheart?”

“Stop with the nicknames.”

Nanook and Jing Yuan start laughing as Pom looks from you to Dan Heng. “Should I even be surprised at their synchronicity anymore?”

“Well, if she ain’t jealous”—Nanook smiles—”she wouldn’t be frowning so much.”

You almost throw a pillow at him just as Dan Heng puts his hand on yours.

◆◆◆

“Quarantine her?” Jing Yuan asked, baffled. 

Luocha had come to see him late in the night. But before Jing Yuan could ask about the bloodstains on his shirt, the doctor had asked about his wife.

“I just came from my father’s room,” Luocha said, panting slightly. “He’s officially lost his mind.”

“Where is he now?”

“...In the dungeon.”

Jing Yuan couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “The… dungeon?”

“He was eating someone, Jing Yuan.” Luocha barged in. “Where’s your wife?”

“...She went out.”

Luocha quickly turned around. “You let her out?”

“She looked miserable and hadn’t gone out in days! Of course, I’m going to let—”

A scream pierced through the air. Luocha and Jing Yuan wasted no time rushing toward where it came from. Just behind a pavilion, they saw Jing Yuan's wife hunched over a maid. Another one was backing away, unable to tear her eyes away from the horrific scene. Luocha grabbed the maid's wrist, and she gasped.

“M-Master Luocha!”

Luocha put a finger to his lips as he gently pushed her behind him. Jing Yuan was cautiously approaching his wife. He was trembling as he saw the maid was already dead. Her hair had been torn out, and the skin on her face was almost ripped off. Before his wife could claw at her eyes, Jing Yuan said her name.

His wife turned, and Jing Yuan saw her cloudy eyes were starting to return to normal. “I…” she began to say as she slowly looked at her hands stained with blood.

“She attacked her,” the maid behind Luocha said quietly. He looked over his shoulder as the maid tore her gaze away from her dead friend. “...She was criticizing her.”

Jing Yuan’s wife fell to her knees, but Luocha grabbed Jing Yuan’s arm before he could get closer. 

You were watching the entire scene unfold from behind a nearby pavilion. Pom, as a cat, had been watching while sitting on top of a wall. You had seen Jing Yuan’s wife lunge at the maid who was gossiping about her to the other maid. From her looks to her intelligence… clearly, the maid was not fond of her. Words could kill, but they could also be a person's ultimate demise.

“...Tell me about your fianceé.”

Jing Yuan glanced at you who had your hand over his wound that was slowly and painfully stitching itself back together. Still, he’s handling the pain well. But, you see how tightly he’s holding that pillow.

“Why do you want to know about her?” he asks.

“Or, we could sit in silence as I watch you struggle with the pain.”

“Whose fault is that?”

You curve your fingers, and Jing Yuan suddenly screams in pain.

“What’s going on?”

Jing Yuan glares at you before looking at Dan Heng and Pom who’d come out of the kitchen. “Tell your girlfriend to be more gentle, would you?”

“He’s exaggerating,” you deadpan.

Pom slowly goes back to the kitchen, but when he sees Dan Heng still looking at you and Jing Yuan, Pom comes up behind him. “Something wrong?”

There’s a small silence before Dan Heng says, “...It’s nothing.” Then, he walks back into Jing Yuan’s kitchen with Pom trailing behind.

“So, you want to know about my fianceé?” Jing Yuan asks. “It’s not every day a murderer is interested in learning about their victims.” He catches your glare and sighs. “Okay, bad joke.”

“...I remember why I cursed her in the past.”

Jing Yuan looks at you but you’re focused on his wound.

“Why?” he asks.

“She was an intelligent woman. She knew about magic… more than the average person.”

“So, you killed her to stop her.” You glance at him. When you say nothing, Jing Yuan says, “My fianceé was working in academia. You’re right. She was an intelligent woman.” He smirks. “She would’ve caught you.”

“How did you meet?”

“Connections.” You raise a brow. “Love at first sight. The minute I saw her, I knew I wanted to marry her.”

"How romantic."

“I don’t waste time.”

A short silence passes as you focus on healing the wound.

“...Hey.” You look up just as Jing Yuan asks, “What are you going to do after you get your memories back? Are you… going to stay here?”

“...Where am I supposed to go?”

“What if you were given a choice?” Jing Yuan glances at the kitchen. “...To stay here with Dan Heng or… be with Young.” Before you can say anything, Jing Yuan continues, “Don’t tell me you think Young is really gone.” He looks at the pendant. “I bet he’s still somehow around.”

“...I’d rather focus on what we need to get done first.”

“Right… you still need to forgive me for all my past shit. Well, aren’t we bonding right now?”

“Sounds like you’re forcing me to give you an answer,” you say, not looking at him. “Normal people… smart people will pick up on my hints.”

“You broke my heart once because you never truly loved me.” You slowly look at him as he sighs. “What I did was unforgivable. But now... you're free to decide what's more important to you. The past or the future."

You turn back to Jing Yuan’s wound and say, “...It’s done.”

It’s then Dan Heng appears from the kitchen with some food he and Pom had prepared. But, unbeknownst to you, Dan Heng had heard the entire conversation.

Chapter 22

Tag list: @suoshiii @lordbugs @seirenspinel @lxry-chxn @nqctre @tanspostsblog @theprinceofkhaos @lunavixia @akwardbiscuit @kplatzman @sunsethw4 @hiqhkey @n8mareee

[arzennn]

Valentines | Loki Laufeyson imagine

Loki has a secret crush on the reader (he’s so obvious)

warnings: none really, a little nose bleed

Loki never thought much to Valentine’s day. He considered a stupid holiday. But this year, he found himself standing at his best friend’s door, with a rose in his hands. He knocked - after three minutes of preparation - and stared at the wooden door. Maybe he was trying to open it with his mind.

“Loki, hi,” she said, a surprised look on her face. She was wearing a dress that made the boy gasp for some air. His favourite red dress.

“Oh, hi,” he smiled anxiously.

“What are you doing here?” she asked. She was trying to put her earrings in, head tilted.

“Uh, I- I just came down to say Happy Valentine’s day.”

“Thanks,” she said. This was really awkward.

“Um..you got plans?” he asked and tried to look casual. He would have leaned against the doorframe if he hadn’t been so nervous.

“Yes, actually,” she said. “I’ve got a date.”

A date?! Loki was taken aback by this answer.

“A- a date? With who?” he managed to ask.

“Oh, just a guy that works at the Bar. Dan.”

Dan? Seriously?

“Dan? As in the bartender?” he teased. But he was totally jealous. And he wasn’t so good at hiding it.

“Yes, the bartender,” she laughed it off. “But why are you holding a rose?

Loki almost blushed. Almost.

“Oh, this little guy?” Loki chuckled. “It’s for a girl, obviously.”

“Ooh,” she said. “Can I get a name? Is it serious?”

Loki didn’t know wether to laugh or cry.

“Nah,” he made a face. “She probably doesn’t even like me.”

He looked up at her with hope.

“Don’t say that,” she put a hand on his shoulder. Loki couldn’t help but smile. “You’re a real prize to win, Laufeyson.”

Now he was blushing. A little.

“You think so?”

“Yeah,” she smiled back. “But I’ve gotta run. I’m already late from my date. See you, Loki!”

And with that, she was gone, and Loki’s smile faded.

-

She got a phone call when she was home. She decided to end her date at the point he started touching her. She picked it up.

“Hey- is this you? Is this the right number?” she heard a familiar voice babble on the other end of the line.

“Loki?”

“Mmh- can you- can you come here?” he asked. His voice sounded dizzy and somehow distant.

“Where are you?” she asked, worried. She could not imagine what had happened.

“Um,” he murmured and then, the line went off for a few moments. The girl was near having a heart attack. “Sorry. Ah- I’m at the bar.”

She knew exactly what bar. Quickly putting her shoes back on, she made her way down the stairs of her building. She was determined to find him.

-

“Loki?”

She found him curled up in the phone booth in front of the bar. He looked washed out. His eyes found hers and they lit up a little.

“You came,” he breathed, letting a small smile crawl onto his face.

“Of course I did,” she smiled back.”What happened?”

“Maybe I had a little too much to drink…maybe,” he said, trying really hard to remember the night’s events. “Then there was a fight.”

“Oh my god!” she exclaimed.

“Don’t worry, I wasn’t involved,” Loki said. “I was however in another one, I think.”

“Loki…,” her tone was worried.”Your nose is bleeding.”

“Oh,” he said, reaching up to his nose. Seeing the blood on his finger, he nodded knowingly. “Yeah, you’re right. But I won, though.”

[mysteriouslover1516]

Lost without You (Part 2)

TRIGGER WARNING: Mentions of heartbreak, depression, alcoholism, and thoughts of suicide.

MC sat on the edge of the bathtub, her stomach churning as her vision grew hazy. She probably shouldn’t have drunk that fourth thing of vodka, bad idea. Two months had gone by since the incident at the mine, two months since Richy’s death, two months since Jake had disappeared without a trace.

Her eyes started to well up with tears at the thought, Jake was dead too. There was no way he could have escaped the mine undetected, he probably weighed his options, favoring the odds of dying in the mine over facing capture by the FBI. She couldn’t blame him, not really. The FBI would have never let him go, who knows what they would have done to him. MC sat there perched for a while, reveling in how the cool porcelain of the tub felt against the back of her legs, eyes squeezing shut as her head felt like it was being split in half. Hangovers were no joke, and apparently it didn’t take till the next morning for the symptoms to attack with a vengeance.

After finally determining that she could make it to her bed, she stood up unsteadily. Managing to not trip over her own two feet, MC collapsed onto her bed. Her eyes glanced towards the alarm clock that sat on her nightstand, the time digits glowing dark red: 1:58am.

It could have been the alcohol taking its toll, or perhaps she just wanted to reminisce, or maybe she was hoping for some sign of life; whatever it was she picked up her phone. Her long, slim fingers shakily danced over the screen, opening up the messenger app. There he was, at the top of her list. His contact pinned, messages locked, his mysterious profile picture looking back at her. Her eyes carefully took in the last message he sent to her, one that she would never forget, but the butterflies in her stomach returned as if reading it for the very first time again.

MC, I love you.

All the promises he had made, the promises that he’d never let anyone come between them, they had all simply vanished into thin air. “Did you know you were going to die, Jake?” She whispered to herself, tearing up once more. “Did you know this was the end?”

MC closed the hacker’s chat, mindlessly scrolling through the chats she had shared with all of her friends from Duskwood. Her finger stopped on someone’s profile picture, a cap placed on top of his blonde hair, lips twisted into one of his iconic side smirks. Richy.

If I told you I was sorry

Would you believe me?

If Dan hadn’t shot him, Richy would still be alive…..no. If Richy had just come clean in the first place, it would have never gone this far. It was funny how much you could miss someone even if you never met them in real life, and Richy was one of them, and then there was Jake…..

As she neared the end of her messages, her eyes fell on the picture with an eye, Nymos. Back then she had feared she would never hear from Jake again, and now it seemed to be her reality, a living nightmare, her personal hell hole. All of those texts that she had spammed to Nymos,  as if those messages would bring the hacker back; he had never received them. Apparently Nymos was programmed to only activate when MC and Lilly discovered the right password to view the video he had left, rw47vr. A crazy, intoxicating idea struck her; those messages had never been delivered to Jake. Her fingers involuntarily started to type upon the screen, this was her way  of letting him go, providing closure for herself, perhaps she could finally move on…….

It’s been two months since the fire at the mine

Since you disappeared

It was Richy, Jake, it was Richy all along

How had Richy fooled them all like this? How could he do this to them, to his friends? Part of her wanted to hate him for everything, but she could never bring herself to do it.

He was the man without a face

He kidnapped Hannah

Marked his own shop with the mark of the raven

Faked his own death so he could plant the evidence

Richy killed Jake, didn’t he? It was Richy’s fault, Richy’s fault Jake was dead.

Amy is dead because of him

You are dead….because of him, Jake

Deep down she knew the truth though, it wasn’t Richy’s fault. She was the one he wanted, not Jake. It was her fault, her fault the hacker had died.

You shouldn’t have gone

It’s all my fault

If I had gone, you wouldn’t have been in the mine

The FBI wouldn’t have trapped you underground

You’d still be here

You’d still love me…

MC’s crying grew worse as she wiped her damp hair out of her face, she couldn’t continue on like this, the pain was growing worse, it felt like it was slowly but surely killing her.

It’s my fault

My fault you’re gone, my fault that you’re not on the other end of this line anymore

I miss you, Jake

I miss you more than I could ever explain

Instead of it healing, her heartbreak was slowly infecting her whole being, the sickness coursing through her very veins. It was harder to get out of bed every morning, harder to socialize with those who were once her friends, everything was harder now. What was the point anymore?

I’m trying to be strong, Jake

Trying to keep on with life as you would have wanted

I try to numb the pain, but the alcohol always wears off

What if there’s only one way to escape it, Jake?

Maybe then we could be together again

You once asked me to go with you till the end of the road, is that what you meant?

She knew she shouldn’t be considering it, but the thought was still tugging at her, inviting her in. What if this was the only way to finally find peace? What if suicide was the actual answer? Is this what Jake would have wanted? Something inside her echoed the answer she already knew in her heart, Yes MC, join me.

I love you, Jake

Hey lovelies ;) So here is part two, please like and leave comments below! I love hearing from all of you! The third and final part will hopefully be out in a couple of days! Thank you for all your love and support, love you ;)

[thedeal-if]

Lool I'm from Spain too! Estoy ahora mismo fliping (verbo de flipar, okno) no me lo esperaba pero a por todas reina

Now, I'll drop this interrogation lol sorry bout that jajsja

Are you okey about angst ask? Ohh and worldbuilding ask? Just in case I will start with the angst and another day te petaré a preguntas about worldbuilding muahaha

I don't really know if demons/angels can die, or if they can do it with the same ease as a human do but...

Okey imagine that in the journey something goes so wrong that a powerful enemy attack MC and the Ro. The attack should and will be lethal to anyone who would take it, and that person is, unfortunately the ROs :( no more himbos for us, nor queens, f**ING boss Victor nor baby Bois. Press f in the chat to pray respect but... And is a BIG but! At the end, MC stands between the blow and it's fateful victim, saving the life of his beloved in exchange for their own, their last wish being not to seek for revenge, but for their sister, who must be lonely without their sibling, to save her and take care of her until she becomes more independent

What would be the reaction of the Ro in this scenery? Muahshaha, who would try to fulfill their wish and who would try to avenge their loved one?

If it's spoiler-y, or not of your liking, feel free to ignore this ask!! Thanks either way, I can't wait to read more about this story and it's brilliant characters

Españita mi casita (a veces) 🫂

I'm very fine with angst asks! I love angst lol. In terms of worldbuilding you're free to ask anything 👁️ I'll keep it all as spoiler free for the plot as possible.

Oh and demons and angels can definitely die lol no one is safe here hahaha

This can be seen as a bad ending for this ask!

Thanks for your support fr!

They warned you all that your journey would be dangerous, that Inferno would take everything for you. At the end of the day, they were right. Here you stand on the face of destructive, watching as one of these dangers is about to destroy the one you're closest to.

You make a choice, and you run forward.

The pain is out of this world, overpowering, it shatters all thought and reason, it's all you can think about. Then you remember Chrissy, you grit your teeth and beg to them to look out for her. Please.

“Me? Wha—” Dante rubs his eyes with an urgency that would be suspicious—but you find it more understandable given the situation, you want to think that he wants to stay strong for you—were you not so overcome with mind-shattering overwhelming pain.

“Please, Dan,” you sob, mind hazy “I trust you, I need you to do this.”

“Hey, hey, hey. I will. Thank you,” Dante sniffs, not bothering to hide the fact that he's crying anymore “The rules say I shouldn't, but screw them. I'll do it for you.”

It does ease your mind in a way. You've never heard Dante sounding so determined.

He rambles, you think he begs at some point that you try to stay awake, and then you don't hear him anymore. Like an echo, you slip away.

“Oh, love,” Lilith frowns, looking more distressed than you've ever seen them “You can't ask that of me. I'm—”

The Succubus gulps down their distress.

“Are you sure that's what you want?” Lilith asks gently. The way their cool fingers soothingly run through your hair like they're trying to weave the pain out of your brain.

“I'm sure,” you force yourself to nod.

“That's alright. I promise. You can trust me, gorgeous,” they smile, smoothly wiping a stray tear running down their cheek.

“Of course, [Name],” if Josh's lack of use of his usual nickname doesn't give away just how distraught he's probably feeling, the way his voice cracks under the weight of the situation does.

Your best friend takes a few minutes to breathe.

“Josh—” you gasp.

“I’m here. Don't worry, I'm right here,” Josh clenches his hands to keep them from shaking “Of course I'll find and look after Chrissy.”

He says it like it had always been a reality, like he wouldn't have had it any other way. Like Josh has always been ready to give up anything in case something like this happened.

Josh intertwines your fingers with his.

The eccentric witch swallows the lump in her throat, her tears fall like rivers before she can hold them back. Villanelle breathes deeply, nodding quickly and urgently.

“Of course, [Name]. We'll find her. We'll— I'll take care of Chrissy.”

Her soft hands—even the coolness of her rings feel somewhat soothing—caress your cheeks with a soft whisper of her touch. Villanelle rubs her eyes, wipes her tears only for more to come out.

“Chrissy will be my little helper in the shop. She'll fit right in. I'll make her hot cocoa, and read her cards, and I'll never let any of us forget about you...”

Villanelle talks and talks, and then you can't hear anything anymore.

To have such a responsibility placed on his shoulders doesn't seem to phase Victor. At all. He grips your hand like he's trying to give you strength, stops squeezing almost immediately when you wince.

“I will,” Victor promises simply. The determination in his eyes speaks loud, even if his expression remains as neutral as ever.

You manage to sob through the agonizing pain, “Thank you…”

“Don't worry about it. None of this will happen again.”

You know that Victor speaks like it's a personal thing, you also know he's thinking about his missing sister. And then you don't know anything anymore, you close your eyes and slip away. Victor stands, intent on doing the thing he does best: killing demons in the name of revenge.

The Genie winces, frowning, clearly unused to being thrown off her game. The game is over, though, you're in no shape to play anymore.

“Why would you…?” Aliyah asks quietly, genuinely confused “Why?”

“I need you to find Chrissy,” you demand, forcing the words and pushing through the pain threatening to shut you down.

“That was always the plan, stupid—” Aliyah flinches as if she's about to touch you, but seems to think better of it “Why did you get in the way?”

“Promise—”

“Yes, yes. Fine, I will. I always was going to.”

Aliyah—awkwardly—forces a cheeky smile. She promises:

“I'll get revenge for you too, as a favor.”

Nathan looks like he wants to laugh but can't force the sound. He looks like he can't speak at all, like the concept of mortality is foreign to him—a being clinging to life like a cockroach despite his impending doom of falling—and he's rediscovering Death through you.

“You know I can't,” Nathan says somberly. He barely acknowledges his own corruption most of the time, you unconsciously fear he'll completely brush you off with no explanation “I can heal you. I still— I'm an Angel, lovely/loverboy/lovergirl, I can make this right.”

“Nathan,” you gasp, pain rattling your brain “I need you to do this, please. I trust you.”

“You're such a poor judge of character,” the Angel forces a chuckle. He hesitates, says “Okay.”

When you close your eyes, Nathan stands with the word vengeance in his mind.

Eden's lips part, his initial reaction quickly shut down as he thinks it over better. It's a rejection if you've ever seen one, or a serious contemplation of your request—your mind isn't all there anymore, and you don't have time to analyze Eden's mannerisms.

“You think I'll do a good job?” he gently caresses your forehead/brushes your hair out of your eyes “You know the dangers of being close to me, right?”

It's not like you could forget, the evidence is clear in his unnatural eyes, white like snow. You wonder if Eden blames himself for a brief second.

“Please. I trust you.”

When your vision tunnels, he's all you can see. He smiles soothingly, he grips your hand, he says:

“Fine, I'll take care of your sister.”

[yjano]

All of me.

Part 23.

Pairing: Jake x Mc.

Warnings: slow burn, swearing, angst, a little fluff, smut, violence and other pairings.

Words: 4.2k

Author's note: Although this story is not related to the Duskwood game, I will add some of our beloved characters. Please read it only if you're into angst prison stories, slow burns, etc. A little hint: You will get to see some similarities to Jake and his gang from "Never The Same" fic.

A tense silence filled the whole meeting room. Nobody knew what to say after the information Jake had just shared with us.

The only way they would get their friend back was by giving those fuckers their other friend. No way that was going to happen, and besides, who said they would release Lex once they gave them Mc?

"Well, what are we waiting for then?" Jessy suddenly said, breaking the silence. Her voice was filled with anger, and yet a scared look could be seen on her face.

"Let's go there together. They surely can't handle all of us!" She said, determination lacing her voice. As soon as those words left her mouth, Kaden immediately began to shake his head fiercly. He was clearly not approving his friend's plan at all.

"You don't get it, Jessy." Kaden spoke, sadness clearly lacing his voice. He looked like he had been run over by a truck. His hair was a mess, his eyes were red, and his clothes looked like he had put on the first thing he could get his hands on.

Lex had been Kaden's everything as soon as he had met her. Living without his girlfriend was not an option for him. No way in hell he would let anyone hurt his precious blue haired shortie without facing the consequences.

"The text clearly says," Mc has to come alone, or they will shoot Lex before we even get the chance to save her. "" Kaden said while an angry look slowly began to form on his face.

A disappointed look quickly formed onto Jessy's face, and she slowly hung her head low. She had known Lex for years, yet she was forced to sit back and do nothing while Lex needed her. Of course, she knew that she couldn't risk Lex's life by deciding to show up anyway, but she refused to accept the fact that there wouldn't be another way she could help. Like hell, she was gonna sit back and do nothing.

"How about we use Mc as bait?" Dan suddenly said before looking to his right and taking Jessy's hand in his own and softly squeezing it. His girlfriend clearly needed all the support she could get right now.

Even though Dan had only known Mc for a couple of months now, he too cared for the girl deeply, but he also cared for Lex. Which is exactly what they needed to focus on right now, get Lex back.

Jake immediately formed an angry look on his face upon hearing the words Dan had just spoken, and he went to stand in front of me protectively.

"Are you out of your mind? She's not going anywhere!" Jake angrily spoke towards Dan.

Jake loved Lex, of course he did, but he wasn't willing to put Mc's life in danger in order to save his friend or anyone for that matter. Mc wasn't going anywhere while Jake was still alive. He would protect her at all costs.

Dan softly began to shake his head before standing up.

"I didn't mean it like that Jake, I know we can't risk both their lives but we're having a serious crisis here and we all need to try to fix it, including that girlfriend of yours." Dan spoke before quickly walking towards where Kaden and Jake were standing.

"We can use Mc to get Lex's kidnappers out of the building they want us to go to, then when we're about to exchange Mc and Lex, we attack and quickly speed off." Dan explained his plan, and immediately Kaden began to shake his head again.

"I'm not gonna risk Mc's life like that, Lex would've killed me if I agreed to such a thing if she had been here." Kaden spoke while a small smile formed on his face.

Mc had become Lex's best friend over the past few months, and Kaden knew how much Lex cared about her. Never in a million years would Lex agree to this kind of plan, or any plan involving risking Mc's life. Lex would rather die than let someone die for her. She was too soft, and the feeling of regret would kill her.

"I'm going there alone tonight." Kaden suddenly said, determination lacing his voice. Immediately, all eyes in the room turned towards him.

"I can't sit back and do nothing. She's my everything." He said before a few tears escaped his eyes again and rolled down his cheeks. Immediately, Jake left his spot behind me and walked over to his crying brother.

"I'm coming with you." Jake said before a few tears escaped his eyes, too. Kaden immediately began to shake his head again.

"Don't you get it, bro?" Kaden said while looking his brother in the eyes.

"They're not after Lex. She's just bait." He continued before breaking eye contact and slowly locking his eyes with me while I was sitting behind Jake.

Panic immediately began to rise within me as soon as I noticed Kaden's stare. His eyes were filled with sadness and anger, something I completely understood. Lex and Kaden had always been super close ever since I had gotten the chance to meet both of them. These two were each other's whole life, and thus, they wouldn't be able to live without the other. Their broken heart would kill them.

.

Jake focus.

.

"It's Mc they're after." Kaden continued once he broke eye contact with Mc again and looked towards me once more.

"You can't leave her here unprotected. We can't lose them both." He said before slowly releasing himself from the hug I was giving him.

I myself was now full-on crying after hearing my brother's words. I knew Kaden's words were true and that I couldn't leave Mc unprotected. However, that did mean I couldn't go and save Lex together with Kaden, which meant that my brother would be going there alone. In a few hours, Kaden would be facing Lex's kidnappers, and I would be able to do nothing but pray for them both to come out of this alive.

"That's basically commiting suicide Kaden." I said, tears streaming out of my eyes and rolling down my cheeks.

Kaden had been my everything in family matters ever since both of us were still little boys when our mother left us. Our bond with each other was so strong, and this situation sucked. How do you choose between protecting the love of your life and brother? The answer to that was simple, I couldn't, and thus Kaden had decided for me. My brother was going alone, and there wasn't anything I could do to change his mind. Hell, if I had been the one in Kaden's situation, I would have done the same, so in a way, I could even understand his decision.

"Wait, no way we're going to let you go alone." Dan suddenly spoke while standing up from his chair, a concerned look visible on his face. Jessy immediately began to nod her head and stood up too.

"I agree, you can't go alone. That's way too dangerous." She said while tears started to form in her eyes again.

"This isn't something up for discussion, guys." Kaden answered while looking towards Dan and Jessy. He had a sad look on his face, and yet a small smile was present on his face too.

"Me and Lex love you all so much, and thus I have to go alone." He spoke while looking at everyone in the room directly in the eyes.

"Both of us would never forgive ourselves if any of you got hurt because of us." Kaden finished while a single lonely tear slipped out of his eye and rolled down his cheek.

"Raise some hell for me, brother." I said before tightly hugging my brother again, possibly for the last time.

It would be unlikely Kaden would come out of this unharmed, and even though I didn't want anything more than see both of my friends back alive, I knew there was only a small chance that would happen. Kaden would be on his own with no one to cover for him, and even though my brother was one of the most skilled fighters in the gang, he would be an easy target on his own. Nevertheless, this was how Kaden wanted it to happen, and thus, I had no choice but to accept his decision

A loud sob left Asher's mouth, and a few tears escaped Sam's eyes as well. All of them knew what it meant if Kaden was going there alone. Meanwhile, Jessy completely broke down, and even though Dan tried his best to stay strong, he silently began to cry, too. The feeling of not being able to do anything was too overwhelming. We would lose two of our closest members. I would lose my brother.

"I will." Kaden answered me before thightly hugging me back, also knowing this would possibly be the last time. But I understood that he didn't have a choice, however. He couldn't leave Ldx when she needed him the most.

.

Mc focus.

.

I was carefully reading the text Kaden had received. His phone was still laying on the table I was sitting at, and chills ran down my spine the moment Lex's beaten up face and worn-out expression came into view again. Lex was my best friend, I couldn't do anything. It was me they wanted, right? Then it was me they were going to get. Lex wasn't going to die because of me, I couldn't let that happen.

"I'll go and get Lex back." I suddenly said, surprising everyone inside the meetingroom. I quickly stood up from the chair I was sitting on, and tears gathered in my eyes quickly.

"It's me they want, right?" I spoke. A few tears escaped my eyes and rolled down on my cheeks. I had to do this, I couldn't do anything.

"Baby, calm down." Jake quickly said once I was finished. He walked towards me and took me in a tight hug while carressing my back. Of course, Jake knew how hard this must be for me. Lex was my best friend, and the fact that she was possibly going to die when it was me they were really after was a heavy burden to carry.

"I know how hard this is for you." Jake softly whispered into my ear while still carressing my back. I softly began to cry and hugged my boyfriend back.

A feeling of guilt slowly began to overtake my body. It was because of me that Lex had been kidnapped. They wanted me not Lex, and yet Lex would be the one who was going to die. It should be me in that situation, not my best friend.

"Why don't you go back to the apartment while we try to figure it out, hm?" Jake whispered in my ear again before softly pressing a kiss against my forehead.

Tears kept streaming out of my eyes, and I slowly looked up towards my boyfriend. Jake was looking at me with a loving yet sad smile on his face. I slowly looked down before nodding my head a bit. Quickly, Jake hugged me again before escorting me out of the room.

Within no time, I was on my way back to my and Jake's shared apartment. My mind was still filled with the awful picture on Kaden's phone. Lex had been someone so innocent and loving, yet she was trapped in a situation like this. Soon, my best friend would be nothing more than a memory, and tears slowly started to escape my eyes again.

I had been so caught up in my mind that I only noticed I had reached the apartment when I was standing directly in front of it. With shaking hands, I opened the door of the apartment and walked to the kitchen to get myself a glass of water, hoping it would calm me down a bit.

This whole situation was my fault. If I had just stayed inside that damn prison, nothing would have happened. Lex wouldn't have been kidnapped, Kaden wouldn't have to save her, and everyone would have been happy.

As soon as I entered the kitchen, I noticed Jake's car keys laying on the table. A spark of hope immediately rose within me, and I slowly walked towards them. This all didn't have to happen. I could save both Lex and Kaden. Slowly, I took the car keys from the table they were laying on and examined them. Was this a smart idea? Probably not, but I couldn't let Lex down.

Quickly, I got a paper and a pen and began to write a note for when Jake came home. Of course, Jake would be heartbroken, but I knew he was strong. He would overcome his grief and move on eventually. He had to. After writing a letter to Jake telling him where I went, I picked up the car keys again and exited the apartment. I couldn't let Lex die when it was me they wanted. Determination was rushing through my vains, and a serious look was displayed on my face.

"Don't worry Lex, I'm coming."

.

Jake focus.

.

It had been about 10 minutes after Mc had left the meeting room. All the others were still discussing the best tactic to get Lex back in one piece without having to send Kaden there alone. Of course, each of us knew there wasn't another way, but we just couldn't help but refuse to accept the fact that both of them would most likely die tonight.

"I won't sit around while you're risking your life to try and save Lex." Asher said as he suddenly stood up from the chair he was sitting on. Immediately, Sam put a supporting arm around his shoulder. Even though Asher didn't have to stay in the hospitalwing anymore, he still had a long way to go before he was completely back to his old self.

"I agree, she might be your girlfriend, but she is our friend too." Sam backed his boyfriend up. Both of them had determined looks on their faces.

"I know what it's like to almost lose the one who means the most to you." Sam continued, now speaking directly to Kaden.

"You feel so alone and like the whole world is against you." He continued while he slowly removed his hand from his boyfriend's back and began to walk towards where Kaden was standing. Softly, he put his hand on his shoulder as soon as he was standing directly in front of him.

"But you're not alone. You've got us." He finished before softly squeezing Kaden's shoulder. A sad smile began to form on Kaden's face, and he softly began to shake his head.

"I won't let any of you guys risk your lives." He spoke before looking around the room with a serious look on his face.

"Lex is my priority, Mc should be all of yours." He said before focusing directly on me. I softly began to nod, clearly knowing exactly what it was that Kaden meant. Slowly, I began to walk towards the middle of the room while a soft sigh left my mouth.

"We all know Mc has been framed for the murder of her sister, and up to this day, it remains unclear what exactly has happened that night." I began to speak while looking at each person in the room individually. A serious look briefly crossed my face before I focused on Kaden again.

"Lately, Lex has been working her ass off to try and find that out, and we believe that she had finally figured it all out." I spoke while softly looking down. I felt extremely responsible for the fact that Lex was gone. If I had just kept her inside the gang, none of this would have happened.

I had been stupid. She knew almost everything about what had happened the night of the murder of Mc's sister. Of course, the killer would want her gone because of that fact. Even though it was Mc they were really after something inside me told me that they wouldn't mind if they also had the chance to get rid of Lex.

"Kaden and I strongly believe that Lex has been kidnapped because she knows too much." I continued while a sad look briefly crossed my face.

"Even though the kidnappers are after Mc, they will never let Lex go this easily." I finished before slowly looking down. This whole situation was terrible. There was no way everyone would come out of it unharmed. Hell, Lex had already been beaten up, and god only knows what else they had done to her.

"Mc is your main priority, I'll try to get Lex to safety." Kaden backed me up while slowly walking towards me and standing right next to me. Of course, Kaden didn't like this plan either, but he had no choice. The more people he took to get Lex back, the earlier the kidnappers would see them as a threat and kill the girl without any chance of us reaching her.

After a while of Jessy coming up with a few other plans to get Lex without Kaden having to go alone and Kaden refusing them all, I had finally wrapped up the meeting. All of us present were having a hard time and thus I thought it would be best to stop talking about the subject all together.

There was no other way, Kaden was going there alone, and even though the thought of losing my brother already brought tears to my eyes, I understood his choice. I would have done exactly the same if it had been Mc who was kidnapped.

Right now, I was on my way back to my apartment. Mc had left the meeting earlier than the rest of us since she had looked really pale and obviously shocked at the fact that she would probably never see her best friend ever again. Lex had been Mc's best friend ever since brunette had joined the gang. The two instantly clicked, and it remained like that ever since. Soon, I was standing directly in front of my apartment, and I quickly opened the door.

"Mc!" I shouted as soon as I made my way through the front door. I raised one eyebrow the moment no answer came back, and I quickly closed the front door of our apartment.

"I'm home!" I shouted again in case she hadn't heard me the first time.

A confused look quickly began to make its way onto my face as I again didn't get a response from my girl. Where the hell could that girl be? I had told her clearly to go back to our apartment, right? Sure, she hadn't looked well when she had left the meeting room, but that didn't mean that she had lost her way when she tried to go back to our shared apartment, right?

Soon, I walked into the kitchen and raised both eyebrows when I noticed a small white paper laying on our dinner table. The paper was laying on the edge of the table and looked like it wanted to be found. Quickly, I walked towards it and picked it up.

Dear Jake,

I know that you must be wondering where I am, as I told you I was going back to our apartment. I did go back here, as you can see by this letter, but on my way back, I couldn't get Lex's face out of my thoughts. When I was sentenced to life in prison, I truly believed my life was over. I lost all my friends and almost all my family that day, until the day I met you. You gave meaning to my life once again and even showed me a whole new side of the words friendship, love, and family. I mean, that is what we all are inside this gang, right? One big family.

If there is one thing I've learned these past few months since we have left that awfull prison it's that you never turn your back on family, which is exactly the reason why I am not here now. I know you probably will hate me for this, but I've gone to give myself in exchange for Lex.

Please don't cry. This was my decision to make. Thank you so much for all the wonderful moments I've spent with you. You guys have given me back my freedom, and I think it's time to return the favor now. It was all borrowed time anyway. Tell the others I love them from the bottom of my heart and make sure to tell them that I'm so thankful for everything they have done for me.

Jake, I love you so much, and even though our time together was short, just know that you're the one I love the most! - Mc.

Slowly, the paper began to slip from the loose grip in which I was holding it. A few tears dropped onto the white paper and began to blur the blue ink before it fell out of my grip completely and fell down to the ground.

Tears were streaming out of my eyes, yet no sound could be heard. Words couldn't describe how broken I felt at this moment. Slowly, I began to sink to my knees, and my head hung low. Loud sobs began to leave my mouth, and tears were rolling down my cheeks.

Mc was my everything. All my life, I had focused on nothing but making money. My whole life revolved around making as much money as possible. That was the way I was raised up, and even though my friends had tried to show me multiple times that money wasn't the only thing that was important in life, I had never known differently. Until the day I had met Mc.

Mc had been the first person who had captured my whole heart. Within our first week inside the prison, I had formed a soft spot for my cellmate, and the more time the two of us had spent together, the more I began to like her. The both of us had been through heaven and hell together. There was no way I would be able to ever live without her.

Slowly, I began to reach inside my black jeans, trying to get my phone out. I had to tell the others about what had happened. Not only was Lex in danger now, but Mc was as well. This wasn't about keeping one of the two of them safe anymore. There was a high chance both of them wouldn't survive, and that was one thing I wouldn't ever let happen.

As if I was acting on automatic pilot modus, I pressed Kaden's contact, and almost immediately, my phone began to make loud beeping noises, indicating I had to wait for my brother to pick up A few rings later, the familiar voice of my brother sounded through the phone.

"Hello?" Kaden spoke, a questioning tone lacing his voice. It had only been about 30 minutes that the two of us had last seen each other, so of course Kaden was questioning as to why I had decided to call him.

"She's gone." I said while a few tears escaped my eyes and rolled down my cheeks. A mixture of anxiousness and anger could be heard in my voice.

Of course, I was mad, Mc was in danger because some shitfaces decided to kidnap her best friend. However, I was also scared as hell. What the hell was I supposed to do if I lost Mc? I couldn't lose the most important person in my life again. I had already been through this shit when my mother had passed away, I sure as hell wouldn't survive it again.

"Who?" Kaden asked on the other side of the phone, a questioning tone lacing his voice. He clearly didn't hear the sobs that left my mouth every once in a while. It was understandable he didn't, though. Kaden was going through the exact same shit as me. Both our girlfriends' lives were in danger. Of course, that was the only thing on our minds right now.

"Mc, she left to exchange herself for Lex." I answered my brother, who in return became death silent. A loud sob left my mouth again, and tears streamed down my face.

"You're joking, right?" He answered back after a few moments, clearly speechless after hearing the news I had just told him.

Mc and Lex were by far the most vulnerable members of our group of friends, and the fact that both of them were the ones in danger scared the shit out of both of us.

"I'm not." I answered, anger clearly lacing my voice now.

Anger was slowly beginning to take over my whole body, and the need to seek revenge became bigger and bigger. Like hell, anyone who even thought about hurting Mc or Lex would get away with it. Both of them were my family, and just like Mc had written in her letter, you never turn your back on family. I began to grip my phone a bit firmer before I slowly began to speak again.

"Get the others Kaden, we're gonna show those fuckers how not to mess with us."

[shining-gem34]

009. — Scratch my muse. // IL and Dh sparring!! Fight fight fight!

Violent Action Starters || Accepted @etherealguard

A thunderous roar shakes the dreamscape. The illusion of lotus flowers is gone replaced by the vast sea that reaches past the horizon. Numerous water dragons rise into the air, coiling together before they sink downwards. They charge straight at Dan Heng, separating at the last moment to deliver a furious attack.

Dan Heng stands against the torrents with only his spear. He raises Cloud-Piercer into a defensive stance; summoning a barrier of wind.

But to Yinyue Jun, it is nothing more than a breeze.

Unsurprisingly, the water dragons break through Dan Heng's shield and push him back. Instinctively gasping for air, he's rolling backward and tumbling on the water mirror-like surface.

"Is that all you got? I'm quite disappointed in you, Dan Heng." Yinyue Jun speaks above him. He looks down at him with a cold gaze, one arm folded behind his back while the other holds a spinning orb in the palm of his hand.

The comment sparks anger in Dan Heng's chest. He raises his spear, using it as support as he rises to his feet. Lifting his head up, the guard glowers at the High Elder acting so high and mighty above him.

Yet he had to give credit where it was due.

Dan Feng truly lived up to his name as the Luofu Vidyadhara High Elder. He contributed greatly to the Xianzhou war efforts against the Plague Author during his reign. Regardless of his crimes or not, Dan Feng is not an enemy to be underestimated.

Now that very same man intends to train him, help him improve both his spear and his cloudhymn magic. What better way to teach than to show him in battle?

As expected, Yinyue Jun wasn't lying when he said he won't hold back.

It's like I'm drowning, my entire being consumed by the might of the sea...

Shifting his feet, Dan Heng slips into an offensive stance. He tightens his grip on his spear, summoning the gales again to aid him.

"Have you not learned the first time, Dan Heng? Your wind is weak compared to the storms I bring." Yinyue Jun shakes his head.

The orb in the High Elder's hand starts to spin faster. His eyes glow a bright blue as water dragons emerge from the sea again. In this battle with no end in sight, almost anyone would've given up in the face of a deity.

"Then shall we see whose will is stronger, Yinyue Jun?"

Not Dan Heng, who remains fearless as the odds are against him.

"Obstinate as always, aren't you?" Yinyue Jun comments. The corner of his lips quirked up slightly at his determination.

He flips his hand, cradling the orb radiating a silver light before he throws it into the air. With a silent command to his dragons, they burst into a mad dash straight for Dan Heng once again. Their jaws are wide open, ready to bite into their prey's flesh as they drown him in their waters.

This time, Dan Heng is prepared to deal with the onslaught of dragons charging toward him.

The guard blocks the first dragon by a hairbreadth breaking the wind barrier. He darts forward, attempting to dodge the best he can as the dragon smashes their heads into the sea. The impact calls upon powerful waves sweeping him off of his feet. He tries to find his balance; to never stops moving forward.

There! An opening!

Gathering the wind around his spear, Dan Heng builds up the momentum. He pulls his arm back before he hurls his weapon. As if a string was released, Cloud-Piercer soars through the air aiming toward Yinyue Jun.

"Hmph. A futile effort, are you even trying?" The High Elder sneers, flicking a finger to bring forth rapid water to stop the spear path. He grabs it, twirling it once, and lets it rest in his hand. "Careless. Show some respect to Cloud-Piercer and the master smith who-"

Dan Heng wasn't on the ground anymore.

A shadow looms above Yinyue Jun. He snaps his head up, eyes widening by a fraction upon seeing Dan Heng. It wasn't because the guard had taken him by surprise with his strategy.

No, Yinyue Jun is enthralled by the waters coiling around Dan Heng. The phantom spear in his hand is formed by cloudhymn magic. Finally, Dan Heng's steel blue eyes glow turquoise and the illusion of horns appears on the crown of his head.

When Dan Heng throws down his phantom spear, Yinyue Jun doesn't move from his spot. The spear barely misses his head, leaving a thin line of red on the High Elder's cheek. Such a thing matters little compared to the elation he feels for his hatchling.

Whatever burst of adrenaline Dan Heng had fades away as his eyes stop glowing and the illusion fades away like mist. He starts to fall, but Yinyue Jun will never allow him to reach the ground.

Catching the guard in his arms, the High Elder slowly descends. Dan Heng leans against him for support, catching his breath after attempting something he had never done before. Ironic considering they're in a dream.

"How...How was that, Yinyue Jun?" Dan Heng questions.

Raising a brow, Yinyue Jun snorts lightly and answers, "Your methods are sloppy, but not bad."

"...I left a scratch on you." The guard points out.

"A minor detail," Yinyue Jun wipes the scratch with his thumb. He hums thoughtfully, "I suppose you deserve a bit of praise for channeling cloudhymn magic. But you still have a long way to go before you can master it."

"That is obvious." Dan Heng raises a brow as if judging him for the statement.

"Also next time, dream or reality, do not attempt to throw Cloud-Piercer like that again. You'll make the master craftsman cry if he finds out how you treated one of his best works." The High Elder said sternly, returning the spear to his hands.

"I will try not to, but I have a question." Dan Heng twirls his spear once before letting it disappear for now.

"Yes?"

"Would you cry too if I did it again?" The mirth in Dan Heng's eyes is as clear as day.

In response, Yinyue Jun summons a bamboo stick and smacks his arm for such disrespect.

[scribbleseas]

The Indignant Pawn, Chapter XV: The Hand Of Karma

Description: You are Y/n Y/l/n- formerly known as Princess Helena, the runaway princess.

You're an assassin for hire who only agrees to find the worst of London's criminals at the business end of your knife; until a mysterious woman hires you to end the likes of Ciel Phantomhive, the King of the Underworld. You find yourself trading your weapons for your abandoned family crest in order to infiltrate his home as none other than Princess Marie-Louise, your twin sister. What's to happen when you find that the young Earl is more than a callous businessman?

OVERALL STORY WARNINGS: sexual assault (once in the prologue), objectification, misogyny, death, detailed description of blood/gore, detailed description of murder, lying, impersonation, theft, weapons, detailed panic attacks, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, kissing

CHAPTER WARNINGS: insinuated sexual assault, drug addiction (opioids)

Author’s Note: Happy Holiday Season, everyone! I’m sorry this was so late. Final exams and final research papers actually obliterated all of my time and creativity. However, I was determined to finish this chapter and get it out before the New Year. I hope it was worth the wait-- I’m thinking this will be the longest you will have to wait for a while. I should be able to go back to my previous semi-regular updating schedule (like every other week).

ps. i had more than half of this chapter formatted before tumblr decided to not work and deleted my progress. fuck.

Happy Reading!

- Dan

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MASTERLIST

APRIL 13TH, 1892

LONDON, ENGLAND

“Ciel, what do you mean you were unaware that it is Marie’s birthday?” Lizzie’s smile faded, replaced by frustration in her eyes. In times like these, she most resembled her mother, attempting to keep a placid face despite her growing frustration. “Please, tell me you’re playing with me; you absolutely cannot be joking about this.”

When did Y/n decide to allow Lizzie to refer to her so casually? Ciel mused, but that was beyond the point. What mattered was that he now had to waste a day in celebration of a woman he had no desire to celebrate in the first place. He knew it was coming, more than aware where Princess Marie’s birthday appeared on a calendar. Unfortunately, that would be the same date as her vindictive twin, who had been impersonating her all this time.

Besides, Ciel had no way of knowing if Y/n even liked celebrating her birthday; he knew nothing about her childhood and teenage life. She could detest her birthday as he did his for all he knew. In all likeliness, he would never understand, given how closely she guarded her life’s complexities.

After all, Ciel’s birthday was the day of the fire that ruined his life, killing his family and destroying his home. The only present he received that year was a demon butler that he summoned from the pure hatred that poisoned his soul. Maybe Y/n’s birthday reminded her of the palace that was abusive enough to cause her to run away twice. 

“Lizzie, what I mean is: I have much more important things to worry about. Such as keeping her alive,” Ciel replied, sighing at the drafted letter in front of him. He was in the middle of penning a response to the man he put in charge of the hiring process for all of his new steamship fleets. Each ship needed a captain, a sufficient number of workers to load and unload heavy cargo boxes, and operators to keep the vessels working. Ciel had just finished reviewing each of his manager’s selections and was writing to approve each one. 

He lied, considering there was no real threat toward anyone besides himself. After all, the real Princess Marie was already dead, and all Ciel was “protecting” was her lying and bloodthirsty counterpart, sent to him as part of a ploy for his life. However, Ciel still had to remain consistent with each pretense. No one else could know the truth. 

“How could you be this obtuse?” Lizzie asked incredulously, with a newfound bluntness to her words. Ciel appreciated her more for it. “It’s the woman you love’s birthday today! You cannot sit idly by! I allowed our engagement to go to rubbish; don’t you waste that by not making her feel loved!” Lizzie exclaimed, quick hands pulling the half-written letter from Ciel’s focus to force him to focus on her. 

“Love her?” Ciel couldn’t fathom the idea of liking Y/n, much less loving her after gleaning the truth. It was a weakness, and if he hadn’t let himself grow so attached, he would not have needed the phone call to show him that Y/n was not Princess Marie of Schleswig-Holstein. There were too many signs that he let go because she made his heart drum in his chest with such ferocity he could hear it in his ears. “I don’t--” 

“Yes, you do love her,” Lizzie said with the same gumption Ciel noted during their private discussion at the wedding. They had a similar exchange; his cousin insisted he loved the princess, and he assured her he was incapable of all love. 

“One moment of her dancing with another man drove you half-mad,” Lizzie said, laughing sadly, despite the tears in her eyes. She dabbed at them with a napkin carefully. “I could only wish you would care for me that much.”

“I do care for you.”

“It’s not the same. Think about it.”

And he had thought about it. 

Y/n drove him half mad with her constant mimicry and her instantaneous sarcasm. Her relentless mind that formed such witticisms and strategy that either left Ciel defeated in a game of draughts or lying on the floor, writhing in pain. She hurt him. It was her mission to hurt him.

And yet, it was Ciel’s instinct to care for her-- beyond keeping her alive. Her smile painted his world. Her lips lit a fire in his stomach. When she laughed, shivers rolled down his spine. Even worse, Ciel would smile in response before he understood what he was doing. 

While it was his duty to care for both Lizzie and Y/n, he never found himself searching for ways to go out of his way and bring a smile to his formerly betrothed’s lips. Ciel never found himself thinking about Lizzie so much he felt deranged. He never would have offered an extension of his first kiss to his cousin in a fiery moment of unconstrained passion. A culmination of his frustration and the sheer depth of what he felt for the woman who both drove him beyond insanity and pulled him back into what felt like the body of a living human being.

He’d been a corpse. And she’d brought him back to life, forcing him to feel emotions he’d never-

Enough. 

He’d made himself blush. Damn it all. 

Ciel groaned, hiding his face in his hands. Days ago, he would never have allowed his cousin to see him so…vulnerable. But if not his cousin, who else? Ciel clearly couldn’t work through his emotions himself. Sebastian detested Y/n, and it didn’t take a genius to know why. If Ciel could feel himself changing, indeed, his soul was changing. It was brightening, and that wasn’t the sort of taste that lured a demon.

“Fine, fine,” he surrendered, ignoring his cousin’s delighted laugh. While he wasn’t sure he loved Y/n, there was some driving passion behind his feelings for her…despite her litany of deception and lies. “What do you reckon I do, then?” 

A half-decent Guard Dog would do nothing of this sort. He should have been writing detailed reports of his findings over the past several months to turn Y/n into the Queen, torturing her to find the name of her employer. It wasn’t possible for her not to know. He needed to understand the whole of this ploy she’d forced him through like a pathetic chess piece. 

But apparently, Ciel Phantomhive was ignoring his duties. He’d drafted that letter to Her Majesty over and over but discarded each attempt, unable to scribble the right words down. The right words to send Y/n to a probable execution.

Grinning broadly, Lizzie exclaimed, “we celebrate her birthday! You buy her a cake and presents, and make her feel like the most important person in your life, of course! I had Nadia make her the cutest dress,” she gestured to the delicately wrapped box in Paula’s hands. The pink bow atop the box bounced in the handmaid's hold. 

“I will inform Sebastian to stop at the jeweler’s,” Ciel said as if he were making funeral arrangements rather than planning a birthday dinner. He shouldn’t be celebrating this woman. He should have her tortured by Sebastian until they could extract the answers they required from her: who wanted him dead, and why, and how did she survive all of this time? Was everything she said to him a lie?

Ciel was weak, and for that, unsure if he could forgive himself. But he could live with that sort of hatred. He’d lived with it every day for years. Besides, for every bit Y/n weakened him, he had the same impact on her; he was sure of it.

That being said, he had the perfect gift for Y/n; a far cry from a dress or jewels Marie would desire. Sebastian could quickly stop at the bladesmith’s while he was out. Ciel began to sketch. 

. . .

Sebastian decorated the gazebo delicately, per Lizzie’s direction. Plush pink roses and vines twirled around each column supporting the roof, adding a graceful ambiance to the scene. The air smelled of flowers and sugary frosting as the demon walked the hitwoman’s birthday cake from indoors to the dining table; Y/n sat at the head, Lizzie forced Ciel to sit at her right hand, and she sat across from him. His servants filled the rest of the table, an oddity, but Lizzie wanted the celebration to be as meaningful as it could be on such short notice. 

“Happy Birthday, Marie!” Lizzie was the first to cheer as Sebastian approached with the dual-layered cake decorated with intricate frosting patterns Ciel struggled to see in the dim light. A half dozen candles sat around each layer, each lit, casting an orange glow over Y/n’s face as Sebastian placed the dessert before her. 

“Happy Birthday, Your Highness!” Mey-Rin, Baldroy, and Finny echoed, a little more reluctantly than Ciel would have liked. However, Lizzie failed to notice their hesitation, more fixated on the opulence of the frivolous cake Sebastian whipped together. 

Y/n merely offered a strained smile in response, her eyes searching. He could tell; she was wondering why they celebrated her birthday after Ciel condemned her to her fate. She wanted to be anywhere else. She distrusted Sebastian, such was evident by the way she flinched at the miniature, yet brilliant, flames atop each candle.  

Ciel had to admit, they made him a bit apprehensive as well. He focused elsewhere, returning his attention to Y/n’s skeptical expression as she listened to the exchange between Lizzie and Sebastian.

“Sebastian, this cake looks lovely! I cannot believe you’re such a talented baker,” Lizzie gushed, squinting at the complex designs, swirled eddies, and flowers made of frosting, all measured and perfectly symmetrical. 

“You are simply too kind, my Lady. I’m no one deserving of such high praise; I’m simply one hell of a butler,” Sebastian simpered, basking in the complimentary glow Ciel’s cousin cast all around her. He never received such praise from Ciel simply because his ego was so inflated it hardly fit in the manor, to begin with. 

“You really outdid yourself this time, Sebastian, yes you did!” Mey-Rin added, vehemently staring at her lap to avoid looking the butler in the eyes. Her face flushed red.

“Thank you, Mey-Rin,” the butler grinned slyly and bowed at the waist. He began preparing the Green Tea for the table, strategically picked to pair with Y/n’s favorite cake flavor. Or was it Marie’s favorite cake? 

“It would be a shame to keep everyone waiting any longer. This cake does look divine,” Y/n puckered her lips to blow out each candle. Thankfully, the scent of smoke dissipated quickly-- it was causing Ciel’s heart rate to steadily rise. He swallowed the lump in his throat, soothing his stress with a short breath. Once again, he caught the overwhelming scent of sugar and roses. 

The table broke out into applause and cheers, to which Ciel was late to engage, slowly clapping. Out of rhythm. 

Across from him, Lizzie sent him a vexed look, purposefully looking between him and Y/n, who plucked each candle off the cake to keep the wax from dripping onto the frosting. She hardly flinched at any unbearable heat from touching the hot candles. A princess would have asked a servant to do this for her, unwilling to put her fingers at risk of burning.

These slight hints should have exposed Y/n ages ago had Ciel not been so utterly daft.  

Wish her a happy birthday, you heartless fool! Lizzie widened her eyes at him, gesturing with her head.

Could she be more obvious? She might as well speak her mind at this point. 

Ciel felt his cheeks warm as he returned his focus to Y/n, trying to create some semblance of fondness to appease Lizzie. He was a brilliant liar; smooth lying should’ve come easy, but the words died on his tongue.

With a final withering look Ciel’s way, Lizzie carried the table’s happy atmosphere. Clearly, she was the only one invested in the celebration-- Y/n looked like she was considering several exit strategies, and Ciel’s servants were still reeling from the brawl she brought to them over a week ago. She was a force to be reckoned with, indeed. Much like Finny had a bruised abdomen to show for it, the discoloration under Ciel’s eyes and wrist had only cleared up a few days prior. 

“And Marie, did you know that it’s good fortune for you to make the first cut?” Lizzie asked, gesturing to the elegant, serrated knife Sebastian left aside the cake on the platter. 

“I did not,” Y/n lied with a tactful smile, meeting Ciel’s eye as her nimble fingers wrapped around the knife’s handle. She was mocking him, reminding him of the damage she could do with such a blade. His stomach lurched in response to both Y/n’s sardonic look and the sense of dread that came from witnessing her with a knife.

Y/n used two hands to wield the knife handle and force the blade into the cake’s bottom tier. She made a show of pretending there was notable resistance from the layers of cake, frosting, and filling. Please, she was strong enough to nearly have broken his wrist. And his nose! Who the devil did she think she was fooling?

Be honest, Ciel. A few days ago, you might’ve been fooled. 

After Y/n made the first cut into the cake, Sebastian did the rest of the hard work, cutting slivers for everyone at the table. The servants excused themselves to ‘help’ Sebastian with the cleaning. 

Lizzie hurried everyone through inhaling their cake because she wanted Y/n to open her gift: a complex aubergine dress with puffy sleeves, understated and graceful. The deep shade of purple complimented Y/n’s sharp eyes. 

Y/n didn’t have to pretend to be impressed by the dress; it was a decent selection. It showed ample thought on Lizzie and Nadia’s part, analysis of the deep and studious color palette Y/n favored, simple lace embellishments of the same shade, and a back that closed by a complex tying mechanism. 

“I love it, Lizzie, thank you,” Y/n said, running her fingers over the expensive satin. So as not to ruin the dress, she folded it neatly in the box, for the most part, tugging a sleeve out of it to get a better look. “I’ve never seen anything like this. Nadia is brilliant.”

“I’m so pleased that you like it,” Lizzie grinned, “but I think Ciel might outdo me tonight. That’s why I saved him for last.” She smiled, but her eyes threatened him: you did get her a gift, did you not?

“I’m not sure I would say that, but I did pick something for you, Your Highness,” Ciel admitted, setting aside his pride for the sake of his plan. He needed to act seamlessly to keep his cousin satisfied and unsuspicious. If Lizzie suspected something was wrong, she would never leave and, inevitably, find out the truth. After all, he was a skilled liar, but not even he could keep his frustration at bay. 

He pulled the velvet box from his pocket, the moment feeling annoying reminiscent of his impromptu ‘proposal.’ By the brief grim look on Y/n’s face, she drew the same connection but accepted the little box nevertheless. To her apparent relief, it wasn’t another ring but a pair of pearl drop earrings set in gold. Ciel didn’t know the intricacies of jewelry; he merely had his butler go to the jeweler's and pick something passable. Much like him, Y/n wouldn’t see the difference between freshwater cultured pearls from China (which they were) and glass imitation ones.  

“Those are incredible!” Lizzie gushed, gaping at the earrings with approval. 

“They are, yes,” Y/n agreed wryly, shutting the box with an air of finality. “Thank you,” she shifted in her chair as if she was fighting a suffocating desire to leave.

“My pleasure,” Ciel responded mechanically.

Naturally, Lizzie disapproved, watching the exchange with a frown. Of course, she was dissatisfied. And she wouldn’t leave if she was dissatisfied.

Ciel cleared his throat, “Your Highness, I actually…have another gift for you. But…I would prefer to show it to you…” it was excruciating to formulate each word. Alone. Without meaning to, he looked at his cousin pointedly. 

Catching his accidental look, Lizzie took it as a cue to act. She forced a yawn, dramatically pressing the tips of her fingers to her lips. She rolled her shoulders back in an exaggerated stretch. “You know, I am actually rather sleepy,” she said unconvincingly, “I shall go find Paula…and… take my leave! Goodnight, Ciel! Happy Birthday, Marie!” She said, slowly rising out of her chair, only to scamper away when she got to her feet. 

“-- Lizzie!” Ciel protested, feeling as if his cousin had left him abandoned at sea. Left adrift without a lifeboat to take him out of uncharted territory: facing Y/n in  disquieting neutrality. He stood to get a better look at his cousin as she grew further from his vision, calling for Paula. 

“I’m retiring for the night,” Y/n lied, finally standing. “You didn’t have to do this. I’ve never cared much about celebrating my birthday,” she took a step away, but before she could continue, Ciel stopped her, his hand nearly missing the back of her shoulder. 

“I had no choice. You know that.”

Y/n turned on her heel, combat-ready by instinct. “You did. She’s only your cousin now, it’s not like you have to maintain her happiness,” she shrugged her shoulder, frowning at Ciel’s hand. He refused to let her leave before he could finish his piece.   

“No, I—” he started to explain.

“You, what? Did you have more questions to solicit me with? I’ve told you everything I know about the woman. I’ve given you my bloody word, what more can you possibly want from me?” She raised her chin, daring him to challenge her. 

But Ciel knew what Y/n’s word was worth; he couldn’t trust her more than he could hope to fight her and live. Besides, the Undertaker said Y/n liked to have the complete picture of everyone she worked with; a sense of their backgrounds, grievances, and why they wanted someone dead. Without knowing the whole picture, she would not take on a mission like this. 

Ciel couldn’t even recall killing a natively Spanish household and leaving a pregnant woman alive. Could Y/n’s employer be lying?

“Just…” stop being so bloody stubborn and come with me. “...I decided to get you another gift. For you. Not who you pretend to be. Do you want it or shall I have the bladesmith melt it down and use the materials for something else?” Ciel demanded, letting his extended hand drop back to the side. Y/n’s mouth opened to formulate a response, but he wasn’t finished yet: “I will be waiting in the drawing room. Meet me there, or refuse. Your childishness is not my concern,” he feigned aloofness as he passed her, showing himself back inside. 

Ciel would have taken pleasure in saying that he genuinely couldn’t care if Y/n joined him. He wished his ego and heart were that fortified, but if he had claimed they were, he would’ve been lying to himself.

Instead, Ciel spent the next two hours glancing at the open door, using a copy of Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil to keep himself from staring at the door like an overattentive dog. 

Even worse, he wished he could say he was comprehending the German words he was reading, but that would be another lie aimed towards himself that was simply too far. Lying to someone else was excusable-- Ciel did it all the time, every day, every hour. 

Lying to himself would be weak. He was not weak. 

He could acknowledge that as he waited for Y/n, she was in the front of his mind. Not Nietzsche’s thinking, not his responsibilities as a good and vicious Guard Dog. No, he was wondering if she would show. If she would like his gift. What she might say. 

Perhaps he was weak. 

“I would’ve assumed you retired by now,” her voice made Ciel straighten his back, tense. His mouth felt dry. He fought his instinct to stand as he would have for an active royal. She wasn’t Princess Marie. He knew that, yet his muscle memory preferred treating her as so.

“I am aware of how stubborn you are. My only option was to simply withstand your thickheadedness and you would eventually surrender,” Ciel responded coolly, satisfied with the way he kept the quiver out of his voice. 

“In that case--” Y/n started, turning to leave. She’d hardly stepped foot through the threshold. 

“Y/n,” he interrupted her with a cutting stare. One might think he was urging her to drink a poison chalice rather than sit and open a birthday gift from him. On the couch in the drawing room…where they haven’t been together in what felt like ages. It was only a little over a week, but when Ciel thought of how things were before the phone call… it could have been a decade’s difference.

“Fine,” she snapped, taking a seat on the other end of the couch. As far as she could get. 

Really? She was the one who attacked him and nearly broke his nose! 

“I thought you might like something more to your tastes,” Ciel said, reluctantly offering the pristinely wrapped box to her. 

“You didn’t have to,” she inspected it before tearing the paper along the taped seams as if she wanted to preserve the wrapping. 

I know that; I don’t have to do anything. I wanted to. Don’t ask me why.

She opened the box to reveal a dagger, the blade sharp and forged from steel. The handle was made of white marble, its quillion sculpted into gold swirls, matching the bottom of the handle. 

This was one of the first times Ciel rendered her speechless, but her face told him everything he cared to know. Her eyes were wide as she took in the dagger’s every detail. Her face reddened, matching the soft pink roses Sebastian used to decorate the gazebo. Like one of Lizzie’s gowns.

Her dexterous hands tested the dagger, determining its weight and how the handle fit in her calloused palms. Ciel would know they were calloused-- he’s had the pleasure of holding them while waltzing. At the time, he’d presumed they were callused from the harp, not the everyday labor of an acting commoner and… the general toil of murder. 

“I’ve always preferred to use daggers. Ever since I started…” she began, her words something adjacent to a thank you. His neutral frown nearly cracked.

“What caused you to start?” Ciel asked before he could help himself. For a moment, Y/n looked like she was considering turning her new blade against him and slitting his throat, but instead, she merely sighed. She watched her reflection in the flawless blade, her face clear of makeup, her hair out of its sophisticated braid. 

Y/n moistened her lips, finally bringing herself to look at Ciel. Her thumb caressed the handle as she spoke, describing a day that took place… five years ago. March 1888. 

She was a poor 16-year-old, homeless and alone. Entirely out of stolen jewels from the German royal family, starving. It was pouring rain, and she had no other choice but to huddle under the scaffolding outside the Undertaker’s shop. Cold, wrapped in tattered blankets, watching the world continue without her. 

Nobody cared about her or the other homeless children living on the streets.

“My William did not deserve this. He was a good man. A good and honest man,” a woman’s insistent voice shook. Four children and another lady around the same age accompanied her. She cradled a baby in her arms while the other woman held an umbrella over her head as they left the Undertaker’s shop.

 “I know, Edith. I know. It was a terrible accident-” the other woman began, only to be cut off.

“It was no accident! Armed bank robberies are not accidents,” Edith refuted, allowing one of her daughters, presumably, to hold her hand while she used her occupied arm to cradle the swaddled infant. “William, the father of my children, was murdered. And you don’t understand what I would do to his murderers if I--” she whispered forcibly. 

“Those are not Christian thoughts,” her sister gasped, “you mustn’t think of the world in such a manner. God always has a plan, have faith in Him,” she urged, walking along Edith’s two sons. 

Y/n listened intently, studying Edith, listening to her. Her husband was probably William Wagner, one of the four tellers murdered in a violent bank robbery the other day. Established newspapers printed their names and obituaries alongside their portraits.

William Wagner: survived by his wife, Edith Wager, two sons, and two daughters, William Jr., John, Victoria, and Ava. 

The man had kind eyes and smile lines. Y/n couldn’t imagine the loss the family suffered…any more than she could imagine letting the scum who murdered him (and the other three men) live. 

Edith wanted to cleanse the world of evil, a Christian thought, and you wanted to afford a loaf of bread. And, of course, be the hand of karma. Justice itself-- if all the government wanted to do was hold prisoners in jail cells for the rest of their lives, wasting tax money on food to keep them alive. Meanwhile, they ignored the homeless children on the street, refusing them any money or food.  

Y/n could dispatch bank robbers for Edith and William. And she did, that night, using a trusty dagger that wasn’t much different from the one she held in her hands. She snuck into their holding cells under the guise of being one of their relatives, wanting to say goodbye. If they knew better, their guards didn’t care enough to stop her from killing them. 

Afterward, finding Edith’s home was simple. Dodging her grateful hug was not.

“I am not a senseless killer, Ciel,” Y/n said starkly, practically challenging Ciel to second-guess her. He was reluctant to. “You are the King of the Underworld. Not many people know what that means. I do, and in my professional opinion, you need not think long and hard about why someone called me to kill you.”

Ciel frowned. He thought about his Madame Red, all of the broken children he ordered Sebastian to incinerate each time his finger pressed into his shotgun’s trigger. 

She was a serial killer, Jack the Ripper. They were too traumatized to ever live a happy or decent life. Every time he shot, his bullet lodged itself into a criminal. 

They weren’t the same. They couldn’t be the same.

. . . 

APRIL 15TH, 1892

LONDON, ENGLAND

Ciel started his work day writing a letter to Her Majesty, Queen Victoria. Y/n and Princess Marie’s grandmother. His sovereign and employer. This was not the sort of inquiry he thought he would have to pen to the Queen of all individuals, but it was more time-efficient than sending postage to Germany. After all, the royal twins’ mother, Queen Helena, tended to spend most of her time racing around Europe to open charities. Any letter addressed to Queen Helena and sent to Germany would take ages to reach her desk. 

Besides, no reasonable Queen would allow her daughter to marry below her social caliber and outside the royal family. No sensible Queen. Ciel stood a fighting chance, seeing as the Phantomhive family was in Queen Victoria’s service for generations. 

Ciel’s bloodline was the closest to the monarchy without genuinely being a part of it. Queen Victoria would consider how valuable the Phantomhive line might be to her family-- particularly when she was already the Grandmother of Europe. A branch of her family tree ruled every established European country; there was no tactical advantage in Princess Marie marrying another German prince. 

Thus, he reached above Queen Helena’s authority. If Ciel could gain Victoria’s approval, he would be unstoppable-- no one would undermine her authority, not even her own daughter.

Ciel uncapped his pen and began to write, his handwriting pristine through balanced lines and even loops:

Your Majesty, 

I write to you with a request that might seem unfounded, but in truth, it has been months in the making. 

As you are aware, I was previously betrothed to my cousin, Elizabeth Cordelia Midford, since childhood. Though recently, she has opted to end the arrangement with her parents’ consent as a result of my untimely courtship. 

During my time as your granddaughter, Princess Marie-Louise of Schleswig-Holstein’s supervisor and protector, I feel that my…

The ill feeling in Ciel’s stomach stirred once more, threatening to reach his throat. He rubbed his forehead in a weak attempt to dispel his forming headache. 

He detested almost nothing more than expressing his feelings and asking for permission. To have to do both in one letter was almost more than he could manage.

Almost.

He picked up his pen again:

…emotions towards her have grown much more intense than I might have anticipated, from a respectful acquaintance that a guard might have to a feeling much more intense than such professionality. I feel that my connection with Her Highness has grown undeniable; to the extent there is too much intensity to deny both in public and…

Ciel hesitated.

to ourselves. While I could never presume to ask for Her Highness’s hand while she is promised to His Highness Prince Aribert of Anhalt, I do feel it is sensible of my station to first appeal to you. 

As per usual, I shall only act at your will and discretion. I am your Guard Dog, and I do put my duties to the Crown above all, including my personal feelings.

With Gratitude, 

Lord Ciel Phantomhive

With that, he folded the stationary into itself and fit it into an envelope. He poured wax over the envelope’s opening and pressed his family cress into the steaming liquid, immortalizing his family crest: the widespread two-headed eagle with a shield in front of it. Under this shield was a banner with the Latin for power and rule. Potentia and Regree, respectively. 

“Sebastian,” Ciel said, calling his demon back from the short errand he sent him on. His butler needed to deliver his outgoing postage and this newly drafted letter to the castle. Beyond that, Ciel was impatient to reap the results of Sebastian’s trip. And admittedly, he craved a decent parfait. 

Without wasting a moment, Sebastian breezed through Ciel’s office door, holding a sterling silver tray with a notebook the size of a dictionary and, of course, the parfait that occupied Ciel’s mind. The demon’s expression was as placid as ever. A surprise, considering he’d spent his morning investigating Y/n, someone he may detest more than Grell Sutcliff. Or even Pluto, the demon dog Ciel took in with the sole desire to bother him. 

“Yes, my Lord?” Sebastian chirped as he put a napkin on Ciel’s desk to avoid scraping from the glass's bottom. 

“Tell me about your findings,” Ciel responded, trading the stamp with his family seal for the small spoon to dig into his snack. He gestured to the notebook with his spoon as Sebastian unloaded it from his tray, placing it on Ciel’s side.

Ciel opened the notebook, scanning over the first page. Sebastian filled every line with the victim's name in chronological order. He started at the top, looking for the first name he did not directly recognize.

Cooper Finley

Amelia Dyer

Felix Keating

“Tell me about Felix Keating,” Ciel ordered, vaguely recalling the headline that appeared in the paper several months previous. Shortly before Y/n arrived at the estate. The businessman’s servant found him stabbed in the back of his carriage. Ciel didn’t mind the death, considering he was visiting London to see a play. Any commoner’s rage might have been provoked at the sight of a rich man amongst them-- Ciel had disregarded the murder. 

Sebastian obliged. “Mr. Felix Keating, a prominent iron manufacturing owner. Found murdered the night of December 17th, 1891 by his longtime coachman, Horace McLaughlin. Cause of death, blood loss due to a stab wound between his fourth and fifth ribs. All of this occurred several days after a legal court found Keating innocent of all dangerous workplace and child labor charges, following the death of Margaret Calvert, a young girl working in one of his factories. Poorly built machinery malfunctioned, causing it to combust and-”

“I understand,” Ciel interrupted firmly, having no desire to hear the gruesome details of a young girl’s demise. “And her parents?”

“Yes, I spoke to them. They were quite stubborn, but eventually, they came around. The husband, Eric, confessed to everything-- meeting Y/n, attempting to pay her, saddling themselves with an alibi-”

“Attempting to pay her?” Ciel said, ignoring Sebastian’s vaguely irritated look. The demon disliked when he interrupted him. 

“She refused to take the full sum of her pay,” the butler clarified. “Quite…merciful of her, considering their living conditions,” he continued, as if the compliment was difficult for him to admit.

Well, of course. They are factory workers who live in Birmingham. They could use all the money they could get. If they were affluent, they would not have had their daughter working at such a young age in the first place.

“I never requested your opinion, Sebastian,” Ciel chastised, only to further irk his butler, “now tell me about her first murder.”

While Ciel already knew about her first paid killing, one could only assume Y/n’s first murder had to be a different circumstance. No one decided to make a hobby out of slaughtering others without having done so successfully beforehand. 

“Gladly, my Lord. Investigating her first murder took me to the Dowager Baroness, Lady Cecilia Wright.” The demon smiled again, the look somewhere between fond and malicious. The same expression he wore after he extracted information from certain women. Like Beast. And that nameless nun. “Though we did have a meaningful discussion, she did insist on speaking with you, my Lord.”

Ciel fought the bile that threatened to rise up his throat. “Fine.”

“I thought you might agree, so I told her we would make a private appearance at her soirée tomorrow evening.”

. . . 

APRIL 16TH, 1892

LONDON, ENGLAND

When Ciel considered Lady Wright’s history, it made sense that Sebastian’s investigation of Y/n’s early life led him to her. The late Lord Steven Wright was murdered the morning of February 3rd, 1888-- four years ago and a month before Y/n’s first paid murder.

There was a suspicious amount of mystery surrounding Baron Wright’s death. From what Ciel recalled, an armed thief broke into the Wright estate, resulting in the Baron’s murder. While the paper prided itself on the specific details it published, this case was particularly vague, leading the public to suspect there was something…more to it. However, it didn’t concern the Queen, and evidently, what was no concern to Her Majesty, was no concern to Ciel. 

Besides, Cecilia Wright’s estate was now a popular destination for elegant and frequent parties-- no one missed the Baron, an avaricious man known for toeing the law with technicalities. Perhaps, Her Majesty was pleased with his demise. 

“You’ve put together a lovely party downstairs. People seem to be enjoying themselves,” Ciel broke the leisurely silence between him and the Baroness. She led him from the intense party to a room that seemed to be converted from an office to a sitting room. Sebastian waited outside the door because Ciel could hardly tolerate the evident flirtation between Lady Wright and his butler. It was tough to watch, and Ciel had withstood even the most gruesome sights.

“It truly is amazing when your imbecile of a husband dies and you have no children to continue his ridiculous legacy?” Lady Wright’s smile spread slowly, a little deranged. Her forehead creased as she grinned, matching the smile lines on either side of her lips. Despite being a noblewoman, her cheeks were sunken in, matching the deep bags under her tawny eyes. Her pupils practically swallowed her brown irises, making them appear like twin black abysses. 

Ciel’s first instinct would have been to express his condolences for her lack of children, but her maniacal smile said otherwise. 

“Everything he owned is mine. All the money, the property… I love my life,” she rambled, her gloved hands fiddling with her gold bangles until she stopped abruptly, staring into Ciel’s gaze. Her smile melted. “And I did not murder my husband to achieve this life if that is why you are paying me this visit, Queen’s Guard Dog.”

Ciel found her face disarming whether she smiled or not. Her eyes still shone with a certain lack of sanity, whether she looked like the party’s hostess or a manic killer. He straightened his posture in response to her change in demeanor.

“Of course not. I know your husband’s killer, and I know you know her as well. I wish to question you about her.” Ciel corrected her, his words causing her to relax once again. “Y/n Y/l/n,” he added to prompt her into speaking since the girl probably asked (threatened) her to keep her mouth shut.

“Yes, that was her name,” Lady Wright hummed, a hyperactive hand coming to twirl at one of the adlib strands of hair that framed her face. Her auburn hair was graying at the roots. 

“Would you tell me exactly what happened the night of the Baron’s murder?

She raised a thin eyebrow, “and why would you need that sort of information? Are you meaning to apprehend her for a murder carried out four years ago?” 

“Not at all. I would only like to…understand her history more,” Ciel answered truthfully. If he was to live with someone who lied to his face repeatedly, slowly reeling him into an inappropriate relationship without imagining a bullet between her eyes, he had to understand who she was. He deserved to understand who she was. In total-- beyond what she chose to disclose. 

Lady Wright was unconvinced.

Ciel took a hurried breath in, growing frustrated with the Baroness. What else was he supposed to say?

I need to know everything about her. She’s an unending mystery, and I want to understand her. Put all of the pieces together. I need to justify not turning her into the Queen for who she is. I need to justify why I thought to press my lips against hers when I had a knife to her throat. 

He must have looked more tortured than he meant to because Lady Wright smiled. She laughed warmly, a quivering hand settling over her heart. 

“I understand, Lord Phantomhive,” her eyes sparkled. “Your face tells me everything I need to know. You love her.”

“Love is not an emotion I understand nor feel,” Ciel’s frown deepened. Y/n drove him to the very brink of sanity. He detested her, yet, he could never force himself to drive her away. Love couldn’t be this maddening. An emotion made to bring people together couldn’t hurt this much. 

“My Lord. No one understands love,” Lady Wright corrected. “Stop fooling yourself trying to understand it. You must be wiser than that.”

“Fine,” Ciel mumbled, his gaze casting off to the side. “I understand.”

“Now let me tell you about the girl I met four years ago,” Wright started, sitting back in her chair. “Y/n broke into this estate through the servant’s entrance and found our quarters in the early morning. I only caught her when she started crying afterwards, wailing on our carpet…getting blood all over it.”

“And the sound of Baron Wright bleeding out next to you failed to-”

“Yes,” Lady Wright interrupted Ciel crisply, “I am a heavy sleeper. Your darling butler knows this. Now would you let me speak? Incredibly rude to interrupt a lady.”

Ciel nodded once, fighting the temptation to roll his eyes.

“I asked her why she killed him and she told me he sent men to her home and they killed someone important to her over an inane plot of land. Then they tried to…hurt her,” Lady Wright said meaningfully, her fingers returning to the gold bangle that hung around her skinny wrist. “She killed all three of them. And my husband, which I took no issue with- I was sure that the bastard was cheating on me, anyhow.”

He considered her words: three men dead, a close friend dead. From conning Steven Wright for over some land. The most common land scam in the business world was claiming to have purchased over acres within a foreign country, making a fake contract, and selling it for money before the buyer could go overseas and validate the claim made. Ciel imagined something of that caliber took place. It would have been much too easy to pull off, considering Y/n was fluent in German. 

“She took me to that shack of hers and it was truly gruesome,” Wright reminisced with the same sick grin. “Four men. Dead. I had to ask my most loyal staff to help us clean. You know, I wanted to take Y/n in and raise her, but she refused me. Heaven knows why.”

Because you are 59 and wearing elbow-length gloves to hide the wounds from your opioid addiction. What 16-year-old in their right mind would want to be ‘taken in’ by you?

“And you are certain that your husband caused harm to her and killed her friend?” Ciel asked, holding onto his very last shred of hope that Y/n was a serial murderer with no motivation. They simply could not be of the same occupation because that would mean Ciel had significantly less of a reason to dislike her.

“Yes, completely,” Lady Wright answered. “Insurmountable proof of personal violation and her friend…I believe his name was…Bernard? Benjamin?” she hesitated, unconvinced by the names that surfaced to mind before her face lit up, “Baxter! Was a corpse on the floor. She was clearly distraught over the man.”

And that revelation nearly made Ciel the same level of ill that he felt when he stared into Amelia Dyer’s dead eyes. When he realized that the girl he knew as Princess Marie was a killer set to make him his next target. 

Only now, he realized that perhaps…this killer might have been better than he was.

After all, Ciel dispelled evils that worried Her Majesty. Y/n worked to dispel evils that caused direct harm to the underrepresented- a pair of factory workers from Birmingham. For less than half the sum of her pay! Ciel took generous compensation from the Queen, no matter how insistently he told her he required no payment for her bidding.

Y/n was correct to say it didn’t take a lot of thinking to understand why someone might wish Ciel dead. 

In truth, she was better than him.

. . .

Tags:

[suzakushimon]

Thoughts on Jing Liu quest?

AHAHAHAHA (negative connotation)

u came to the right person anon, i have a lot to say...

IT WASNT THAT GREAT..... at first i spent a whole night convincing myself it was a reasonable way for the story to go but they did dan heng WAY too dirty. idk why luofu writing is so SHIT but if the current scandal is true and an employee rly has been messing w the story just to mess w the female fans, it explains a lot 💀

there were parts i liked: the art + the fight scene was a banger + how jingliu points out dan heng fights exactly like dan feng. it emphasizes how, whether he likes it or not, there are some things dh has inherited from df and he cant escape that. his appearance, his spear, his bracer, the ribbon, his vidyadhara powers, etc etc... if it wasnt for df, dh wouldnt be who he is today-- thats the truth, and its something dh can grow to accept.

but holy FUCK. the way they handled everything else. dan heng's memories. jingliu's introduction and her motives. blade's characterization. THE PLOTHOLES. just....ITS KINDA ALL WRONG!!!!!

IN MY OPINION. dan heng's whole POINT is that he doesnt remember his past life/his "past". he considers those memories as "not his", and asserts himself as his own individual person without them. its IMPORTANT he doesnt remember anything + that he doesnt NEED to bc this way he contrasts march 7th and the trailblazer, who also dont have their past memories-- but those 2 WANT to remember, are actively trying to, and they DO consider their past memories/past life as part of "themselves". whereas dan heng runs from his past and tries to find his "true self" without it, march and trailblazer run towards theirs, trying to catch glimpses of their "true selves" through it.

SO THERE'S LITERALLY NO REASON HE HAS TO REMEMBER DAN FENG'S PAST. it completely messes up his character arc/the message his character is trying to send!! they backpedaled so hard on their stance towards dan heng... first it was "only u can determine who u are, no one else; the expectations others hold for u dont matter" and now its "u are him no matter what u do, these sins are yours". like WHAT???? jingliu's quest just made more people equate dan heng with dan feng when the story is SUPPOSED to emphasize that they r DIFFERENT PEOPLE💀💀💀💀

dan heng did decide to face dan feng's sins, but he's NOT a part of the quintet. he's a WHOLE NEW PERSON. so why was he invited as a part of the quintet, but bailu wasn't?? its like theyre saying bailu is a whole new person, but dan heng is still dan feng, WHICH GOES AGAINST HIS CHARACTER THEMES(i am silenced and forced to sit down) anyways imo if bailu didn't have to attend the worlds worst high school reunion, dan heng shouldn't have had to attend either!!!! THIS AINT HIS PROBLEM. DAN HENG GET BEHIND ME!!!!!!!!!

his convo with blade at the end was so ooc it killed me. like, a little walk with his past life's old friend, and suddenly he's willing to forgive blade's literal years of stalking and attacking him??? now hes willing to play along with the vengeance he spent his whole life insisting was directed at the wrong person???????? i only chose that option bc the one on top sounded so wimpy/out of place it also felt ooc to me 💀 he wouldnt show weakness to blade, but there's no way he'd be that accepting either. maybe 3 years later and x patches in, but not NOW...

and jingliu. ooooh girlie. JINGLIU. THEY DID HER SOOOO FUCKING DIRTY. she's a new character. casuals/people who dont dig through lore don't know anything abt her except that shes jingyuans teacher. so why is her INTRODUCTION a fucking CONCLUSION TO HER CHARACTER ARC???? shes already DONE wandering and finding an answer in her heart. shes already DONE deciding whether or not to keep running or face her past. now shes mourning for a PERSON WE DONT EVEN KNOW. we watch her get closure for her dead girlfriend. BUT SO WHAT??? WE DONT EVEN KNOW EITHER OF THEM!!! SEEING HER GET CLOSURE MEANS NOTHING TO US. ITS JUST AWKWARD. why was her INTRO her fucking CHARACTER ARC'S CONCLUSION!!!!!!! they should've made her quest like luocha's, where all we did was speculate and her real motives remained a mystery. then we couldve been spared from this shitfest!!!!

the difference in quality between belobog story and luofu story is insane!!!! like, just compare luka's quest to jinglius....hello??? its crazy how unsympathetic they made her. it was literally "tell not show" instead of "show not tell".

anyways im just upset at dan heng's treatment. like, this character has a clear message/direction they were going for, but jinglius quest kind of stomps all over it, and her quest was supposed to introduce her but her introduction flopped hard. she was so much cooler when we saw her during yanqings quest and she was half insane. its awkward to mourn for someone we dont even know and its awkward to watch someone we dont know mourn. and, ngl, it rly felt like they only added dan heng in there bc they want more ppl to care abt the quintet. that whole quest couldve been through jingliu's pov where the reunion only happened between blade, jingliu, and jingyuan, so why wasn't it??? as opposed to those three, dan heng already moved on from the past. it was awkward for dan heng and for the audience💀

tldr i had high expectations bc i thought hoyo cared abt the quintet but not only did it flop it also dragged dan heng's characterization through the mud

[kudosmyhero]

The Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 3) #8: Ms. Adventures in Babysitting

Read Date: April 10, 2023 Cover Date: December 2014 ● Writer: Dan Slott ◦ Christos N. Gage ● Penciler: Giuseppe Camuncoli ● Inker: Cam Smith ● Colorist: Antonio Fabela ● Letterer: Chris Eliopoulos ● Editor: Nick Lowe ●

**HERE BE SPOILERS: Skip ahead to the fan art/podcast to avoid spoilers

Reactions As I Read: ● while I wish Slott's stories got a little deeper (such as what 10 years of near solitary confinement should have done to Cindy Moon's psyche, etc.), he does do a good job with the light-hearted, flippant side of things

● "…staying with Peter is not an option. Not when every time we're together we act like teenagers on prom night." -- no. worse. you act much worse than that. it was amusing at first but it lost its novelty real fast. ● are we critiquing what Silk wears just because she's a woman? either way, it prompts her to try something else, so we'll see how that looks when it's revealed here in a min. ● ok, who's this baby, then? ● a henchman with a change of heart. huh. ● ok, Silk's new costume looks pretty good. at least it doesn't look like it'll fall off her at any moment. ● so how did the baby get in the cocoon? is this a case of "I should have remembered what happened in the last issue"? because… ADHD. ● aww, Big Brother Spider-Man is kinda adorbs ● o_o oh my… the henchman is Clayton Cole/Clash?? wow. nice.

● aww, Spidey gave Cole a business card to Parker Industries. I hope Cole makes good on his second chance. it's an all-too-real glimpse at the struggles people with a record face.

● ok, new story. Earth-982. Mayday Parker. oof, a gut-punch already. ● 👏👏👏👏

Synopsis: As Spidey battles Dr. Minerva, he sees how Kamala is frozen in shock since she still lacks the experience for this kind of situation. He appeals to her fandom for Carol in order to snap her out of the shock by using the "Slingshot" maneuver he created with Carol. Kamala wants to keep fighting, suggesting they try a "Fastball Special" next, but Spidey tells her that they must focus on retrieving the cocoon. As they approach, one of the thugs complains that he accepted the job because Minerva wasn't an enemy of Spider-Man (since he refuses to take any jobs that involves Spider-Man), but takes advantage of the situation so he can modify his Sonic Scanner into a weapon. Spidey and Kamala try to escape with the cocoon, but Kamala's size makes her an easy target, and as she fights against Minerva the cocoon starts to hatch.

Meanwhile, as Cindy Moon ponders on her rent status, she is called to assist Natalie Long at the Fact Channel. Natalie reviews the battle between Silk and Electro and considers making her their "exclusive" just like the Bugle did with Spider-Man, but criticizes Silk's outfit as tacky. Just as Natalie gets a report on two crimes, one being Spidey's battle, Cindy escapes to deal with the other situation, determined to become the Fact Channel's exclusive by making herself a new outfit.

The cocoon hatches revealing a seemingly human baby inside, which Kamala takes to keep him safe while Spidey battles Minerva. The henchmen take down Kamala while she keeps the baby safe, but as she confronts them one of the henchmen turns against the rest, showing moral qualms about attacking someone carrying a baby. The henchman takes off his mask so that he won't scare the baby and then joins Spider-Man, who explains that Kamala knows everything about the Kree thanks to her knowledge of Carol Danvers, while the henchman is a local. This prompts Spidey to ask Minerva if she is indeed working for the Kree Empire, since it's rare that she's using local people instead of Kree Soldiers, and Minerva insists that her activities are fully sanctioned by the Kree Empire. Spidey fakes a call to Jarvis in Avengers Tower to ask the Kree if they know about Minerva's activities in order to call her bluff, which succeeds, forcing her her escape the site.

At the other robbery site, The Ringer attempts to escape, only to be taken down quickly by Silk, making her first appearance in her new outfit in front of Natalie Long and the cameras of the Fact Channel, saying that it was time for a change.

Spidey and Kamala bring the baby to the hospital so he can be taken care of with his parents. Kamala worries since they don't know what powers she might have, but Spider-Man insists that they love her and that will be a good start. He says he has to leave to make an alert at Avengers Tower about Minerva and compliments Kamala, seeing a reflection of his past self when he was a teenage superhero dealing with the double life. He encourages her, saying that she'll do fine, then confronts the henchman, who swears that he was trying to find legit work but nobody wants to hire a man with a criminal record since juvie, only to be stunned when Spidey recognizes him as Clayton Cole, his first rival, formerly known as Clash, which surprised Clayton. Spidey sees that Clayton really wants to go straight and change his life, but no one wants to hire a man with "Supervillain since fifteen" on their resume, so he gives him a card from Parker Industries, claiming that Parker believes in second chances and to tell him he sent him. He takes it and by the next day he is officially hired into Peter's company. Peter reflects that his company now gives him great power and great responsibility to help depower and reform former villains.

(https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Amazing_Spider-Man_Vol_3_8)

Fan Art: Spider-Man and Ms. Marvel by drawerofdrawings

Accompanying Podcast: ● Amazing Spider Talk - episode 08

[bewitchingbooktours]

Cover Reveal : L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 39 #CoverReveal #writersofthefuture

L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 39

L. Ron Hubbard, S. M. Stirling, Kevin J. Anderson, Lazarus Chernik, Kristine Kathryn Rusch and 24 Award-Winning new authors and illustrators.

Edited by Dean Wesley Smith and Jody Lynn Nye 

Genre: SciFi/Fantasy Anthology 

Publisher: Galaxy Press 

Date of Publication:  May 16, 2023

Number of pages: 544

Cover Artist: Tom Wood

EPUB ISBN: 9781619867659

Kindle ISBN: 9781619867666

Adobe PDF ISBN: 9781619867673

Trade Paperback ISBN: 9781619867680

Tagline: Anthology of Award-Winning Sci-Fi and Fantasy Short Stories- From vampires and werewolves to space exploration and time travel, you will love these 12 original and diverse stories because they were selected by some of your favorite authors.

Book Description:

Join a team of time travelers who set out to save London from a terrorist’s nuclear attack … when a blast from the past changes everything.

Meet a vampire, a dragon and a shape-shifting Chihuahua in Key West … this is one beach party that’s about to get wild!

Follow Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I., who’s investigating the craziest case of his so-called life.…

A miracle? An omen? Or something else? One day, they arrived in droves—the foxes of the desert, the field, the imagination….—“Kitsune” by Devon Bohm

When a vampire, a dragon and a shape-shifting Chihuahua meet on a beach in Key West, fireworks go off! But that’s just the background.—“Moonlight and Funk” by Marianne Xenos

The Grim Reaper, trapped in an IRS agent’s dying body, must regain his powers before he dies and faces judgment for his original sin.—“Death and the Taxman” by David Hankins

In a metaverse future, a woman who exposes falseness in others must decide what is real to her—the love she lost or the love she may have found.—“Under My Cypresses” by Jason Palmatier

Vic Harden wasn’t lured by glory on a daring mission into the reaches of outer space—he was ordered out there by his editor.—“The Unwilling Hero” by L. Ron Hubbard

Dangerous opportunities present themselves when an alien ship arrives in the solar system seeking repairs.—“White Elephant” by David K. Henrickson

With her spaceship at the wrong end of a pirate’s guns, a former war hero must face down her enemies and demons to save Earth’s last best chance for peace.—“Piracy for Beginners” by J. R. Johnson

Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I., faces one of his funniest and most perplexing cases ever—an enlightened ogre, a salamander with low self-esteem, and a raging fire dragon terrorizing the Unnatural Quarter!—“Fire in the Hole” by Kevin J. Anderson

Years after the Second Holocaust, the last surviving Jews on earth attempt to rewrite the past.—“A Trickle in History” by Elaine Midcoh

When I said I’d do anything to pay off my debts and get back home to Earth, I didn’t mean survey a derelict spaceship at the edge of the solar system—but here I am.—“The Withering Sky” by Arthur H. Manners

High-powered telescopes bring galactic life to our TVs, and network tuner Hank Enos figures he’s seen everything—until the day an alien boy stares back.—“The Fall of Crodendra M.” by T. J. Knight

Knights, damsels and dragons, curses and fates foretold—the stuff of legends and stories, but unexpectedly perverse.—“Constant Never” by S. M. Stirling

Determined to save his wife, Tumelo takes an unlikely client through South Africa’s ruins to the heart of the Desolation—a journey that will cost or save everything.—“The Children of Desolation” by Spencer Sekulin

When a terrorist smuggles a nuclear weapon into London, a team regresses in time to AD 1093 to assassinate a knight on the battlefield, thereby eliminating the terrorist a millennia before his birth.—“Timelines and Bloodlines” by L. H. Davis

The Grand Exam, a gateway to power for one, likely death for all others—its entrants include ambitious nobles, desperate peasants, and Quiet Gate, an old woman with nothing left to lose.—“The Last History” by Samuel Parr

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About the Contest:

The international Writers of the Future Contest was created and endowed by L. Ron Hubbard. After several years of success in fostering new writers, the Illustrators of the Future Contest followed. The winning stories are illustrated and published in the annual L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future anthology. Described by critics as a perennial “glimpse of tomorrow’s stars,” a “must-have for the genre reader,” and “the bestselling science fiction anthology series of all time,” it is today the most enduring and top-ranking publication of its kind.  

The blue-ribbon panel of judges is what makes this possible. The winning stories are selected by bestselling authors, including Brandon Sanderson, Orson Scott Card, Nnedi Okorafor, Kevin J. Anderson, Brian Herbert, Jody Lynn Nye, Larry Niven, Robert J. Sawyer, Katherine Kurtz, and many others. The best of the best are hand-picked each year. 

There is no entry fee, and stories are judged blind, making it a fair competition for all authors and illustrators who enter from anywhere in the world. There are cash prizes. The winners are paid professional rates and maintain their rights. 

It is an excellent program for new authors and readers, who often discover their next favorite writer.

Enter the Writing Contest https://www.writersofthefuture.com/enter-writer-contest/

Free Writing Workshop https://www.writersofthefuture.com/writing-workshop/

Writing Podcast: https://www.writersofthefuture.com/podcast/

Writers Forum: https://www.writersofthefuture.com/forum/

Writing Contest Rules https://www.writersofthefuture.com/contest-rules-writers/

Contest Judges: https://www.writersofthefuture.com/writer-judges/ 

Contest Blog: www.writersofthefuture.com/blog

List of Writers of the Future and L. Ron Hubbard books 

https://galaxypress.com/l-ron-hubbard-books/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WotFContest

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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/WritersoftheFuture

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wotfcontest

[college-girl199328]

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre faced criticism from his political opponents Friday for delivering a speech to the Frontier Centre for Public Policy (FCPP) associated with efforts to downplay the effects of residential schools on Indigenous children and oppose vaccine mandates. Before introducing Poilievre on Friday, the group's president, Peter Holle, said the FCPP is one of the "most prolific think thinkers," and it publishes articles that "might rub you the wrong way."

Holle said the group is determined to "challenge false narratives" and claimed there's a "phony-baloney discussion about climate" among the "chattering classes and commentariat." In 2018, the FCPP ran radio ads claiming to debunk "myths" about Canada's residential schools. The ads dismissed as "myth" the claims that residential schools were responsible for "robbing native kids of their childhood" or the dramatic decline in Indigenous language skills.

It also published an article written by a former residential school student and FCPP research associate that downplays the intergenerational effects of these institutions on First Nations communities. The report by Mark DeWolf criticized the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) for "spreading erroneous information."

The TRC conducted an exhaustive six-year study of the system. It concluded that physical, mental, and sexual abuse was rampant at the schools and that some 6,000 children died while in their care because of malnourishment or disease. It also concluded that the residential school system was a cultural genocide.

The FCPP has also posted commentary articles on its website that defend research into the connection between race and IQ. It recently published a post that decried "anti-white male policies," saying that such discrimination is "the only systemic discrimination there is." A spokesperson for Poilievre said his appearance at the FCPP doesn't mean he endorses "the views of everyone who has ever worked for the group."

Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Marc Miller said it was "appalling" that Poilievre would "associate himself with an organization like this, particularly after a day like today." He was referring to a jawbone fragment belonging to a child found at a former residential school site. Another Liberal cabinet minister, Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal, said it was "disheartening" to learn that Poilievre delivered a speech to the group and its followers.

Poilievre did not address the criticisms during his Friday speech to the 500-strong crowd assembled at a Winnipeg conference centre for his appearance. Instead, he delivered a blistering attack on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, blaming Liberal policies for inflation, sky-high real estate prices, a shortage of children's medication, delays in passport processing, and ongoing problems in air transportation, among other things.

Poilievre promised to rein in the federal budget through a "pay-as-you-go" law, which would demand that every dollar of new spending be matched by a cut to something else. He also pledged to work with the provinces to speed up the certification of foreign-trained medical professionals to fill labour gaps in the healthcare system.

Poilievre said he would not shy away from his pointed attacks on the Liberal government even though, he said, the conventional wisdom from the "Laurentian elite" and the "established liberal orthodoxy" is that he should moderate his positions after claiming the party's leadership.

Like Poilievre, the FCPP has been critical of COVID-19-related vaccine mandates. It published a web post decrying past proof-of-vaccination policies implemented by all levels of government as "a state-mandated invasion of our bodily autonomy." Another post, which took a similar position, called vaccine mandates "a politically expedient use of state authority to attack Canadian citizens."

Thomas Linner is the provincial director of the Manitoba Health Coalition, a group with ties to the provincial NDP and unions. He said it was inappropriate for Poilievre to stand "beside an organization that has espoused deeply divisive and extreme positions on vaccines and COVID-19 public health measures, and support for illegal and dangerous occupations of Canadian cities." Other Canadian politicians have appeared at FCPP events, including former Finance Minister Paul Martin, who spoke to the group in 2002.

[recoverypiner]

Twitter com

#TWITTER COM CODE#

However, soon after her victory in the Presidential election, multiple fake accounts of Draupadi Murmu could be seen on the micro-blogging site Twitter. Phone: (407) 859-8677 Fax: (407) 859-8678 Rob Madigan Ext 105 Joy Powell Ext 101. Apart from that, President Draupadi Murmu doesn't have any account on any social media platform. There is only one Twitter account of the President of India, that is handled by the President's Secretariat. Not only her daughter, but the President of India, Draupadi Murmu is also facing the problem of fake accounts on Twitter. Along with this, the tech criminal is also charged under certain provisions of the Information Technology Act.Īlso Read: Droupadi Murmu to take oath as 15th President Of India tomorrow

#TWITTER COM CODE#

Shailendra Shukla is facing charges under Indian Penal Code sections 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of public peace) and 507 (criminal intimidation by an anonymous communication). The engineer, who used to work in a multinational firm, used one of the phones to operate a fake social media account to threaten his neighbours.

Plans for future armed protests have already begun proliferating on and off-Twitter, including a proposed secondary attack on the US Capitol and state capitol buildings on January 17, 2021.Īs such, our determination is that the two Tweets above are likely to inspire others to replicate the violent acts that took place on January 6, 2021, and that there are multiple indicators that they are being received and understood as encouragement to do so.The police seized three mobile phones from his possession.

The mention of his supporters having a “GIANT VOICE long into the future” and that “They will not be disrespected or treated unfairly in any way, shape or form!!!” is being interpreted as further indication that President Trump does not plan to facilitate an “orderly transition” and instead that he plans to continue to support, empower, and shield those who believe he won the election.

Track the growth of your follower base and see how people engage with every single Tweet. Quickly grow your community of high value followers and drive word of mouth by promoting your account.

The use of the words “American Patriots” to describe some of his supporters is also being interpreted as support for those committing violent acts at the US Capitol. Get your messages in front of people not yet following you by promoting your Tweets.

The second Tweet may also serve as encouragement to those potentially considering violent acts that the Inauguration would be a “safe” target, as he will not be attending.

Invite anyone to Tweet from this account using the Teams feature in TweetDeck. Get insights into the type of information stored for your account.

President Trump’s statement that he will not be attending the Inauguration is being received by a number of his supporters as further confirmation that the election was not legitimate and is seen as him disavowing his previous claim made via two Tweets ( 1, 2) by his Deputy Chief of Staff, Dan Scavino, that there would be an “orderly transition” on January 20th. See your account information like your phone number and email address.

This determination is based on a number of factors, including: We assessed the two Tweets referenced above under our Glorification of Violence policy, which aims to prevent the glorification of violence that could inspire others to replicate violent acts and determined that they were highly likely to encourage and inspire people to replicate the criminal acts that took place at the U.S. After assessing the language in these Tweets against our Glorification of Violence policy, we have determined that these Tweets are in violation of the Glorification of Violence Policy and the user should be immediately permanently suspended from the service. “To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th.”ĭue to the ongoing tensions in the United States, and an uptick in the global conversation in regards to the people who violently stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, these two Tweets must be read in the context of broader events in the country and the ways in which the President’s statements can be mobilized by different audiences, including to incite violence, as well as in the context of the pattern of behavior from this account in recent weeks. Follow the tweets of your favorite influencers, alongside hundreds of. Search hashtags and trending topics to stay updated on your friends & other Twitter followers. Shortly thereafter, the President Tweeted: Tweet, Retweet, Reply to Tweets, Share or Like - Twitter is the 1 social media app for latest news & updates. They will not be disrespected or treated unfairly in any way, shape or form!!!” “The 75,000,000 great American Patriots who voted for me, AMERICA FIRST, and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, will have a GIANT VOICE long into the future.

[love-me-a-lotta-whump]

เขา...ไม่ใช่ผม - Not Me - Whumplist - 🇹🇭

Whumpees: Black and White played by Gun Atthaphan, Sean played by Off Jumpol , Dan played by Fluke Gawin and Yok played by First Kanaphan

Synopsis: One day, seemingly from nowhere, White feels an agony like death. He recovers in the hospital, but they’re unable to determine the cause. Then he picks up a call from a childhood friend, Tod. Tod tells him that Black is in a coma following a vicious attack and he learns that Black is in a motorcycle gang. Unable to endure the harm done to his brother in silence, and suspecting it was one of Black’s close friends—Sean, Gram, or Yok—who betrayed him, White disguises himself as Black to root out the traitor. (MDL)

Genre: BL, Romance, Action, Thriller, Crime, Cop

Watch On: KissAsian

♥️: Once again I wanna say thank you to everyone who suggested and requested this drama! This is another highly requested drama!

WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS BELOW

Black

1.01 : chased, surrounded, beaten ::: in the ICU, heavily bruised, oxygen mask on his face

1.02 : dying, flatlined, brought back

1.03 : none

1.04 : (flashbacks: chased by the police)

1.05 : still in the hospital

1.06-1.08 : none

1.09 : still in the hospital, woke up ::: fought

1.10 : angry

1.11 : drugged, fought, drowned ::: (flashbacks: cut face, icing his wounds, upset) ::: brought out of the water, coughing, defiant ::: handcuffed to Sean, fought

1.12 : still handcuffed to Sean, upset ::: collapsed, struggling to breathe, concern for him ::: emotional, crying

1.13 : bruised face, fought, manhandled, physically restrained, struggling, at gunpoint, crying ::: fought

1.14 : on the run ::: self sacrifice, concern for him ::: fought, at gunpoint, fought, at gunpoint, fought, running away, hunted ::: cornered, chased, at gunpoint

White

1.01 : high heart rate, feeling unwell, sliding down a wall, concern for him, bloody nose, held ::: in the hospital, told his twin is dying ::: anxious, crying ::: nervous ::: anxious

1.02 : running into a burning building, concern for him ::: struggling to breathe, coughing, struggling to help someone, found barely conscious, saved ::: emotional, exhausted, heavy breathing ::: hand hurt and bleeding, concern for him ::: emotional, hallucinating, crying ::: hand treated ::: in intense pain, struggling to breathe, writhing on the floor, heavy breathing ::: concern for him

1.03 : hand still bandaged ::: sparring, hit, bloody nose, knocked out, bridal carried, sweaty, looked after ::: emotional

1.04 : gassed ::: asleep

1.05 : back pain (semi comical) ::: hood thrown over his head, manhandled, struggling, passed out

1.06 : woke up with the hood still over his head, restrained (rope), threatened at gunpoint, flinching, scared, face grabbed, emotional, shaking, crying ::: beaten, saved ::: weak, unable to stand, concern for him, friend tries to pick him up, hit, held in a chokehold, struggling, suffocating

1.07 : held in a chokehold, struggling, suffocating, struggling, looked after

1.08 : woke up tied up, struggling ::: struggling, saved

1.09 : crying ::: fought, crying

1.10 : protecting someone

1.11 : concern for him ::: scared ::: feeling unwell, struggling to breathe, concern for him, in a motorcycle accident ::: held, bloody, concern for him, stumbling ::: emotional ::: asleep

1.12 : emotional, hanging from a ledge, saved, crying, attempting to unalive himself (drowning) ::: emotional, crying

1.13 : scared, chased, shot at ::: cornered, scared, arrested, saved

1.14 : on the run ::: concerned for Black ::: running away, cornered, scared, pistol whipped, at gunpoint, threatened, concerned for someone, kidnapped, hood thrown over his head ::: captive, restrained, crying, scared ::: saved, emotional

Sean

1.01 : none

1.02 : ran into a burning building ::: emotional, jealous

1.03 : none

1.04 : having a nightmare, crying in his sleep ::: gassed ::: (flashbacks: grabbed by the police, restrained)

1.05 : none

1.06 : woke up with the hood still over his head, restrained (rope), threatened at gunpoint ::: (nightmare: crying, watching his dad die, crying and comforting his mom, manhandled, emotional ::: protecting someone, fought ::: angry

1.07 : angry, emotional

1.08 : emotional

1.09 : none

1.10 : angry, sparring, bloody and bruised ::: beaten, refusing to fight back, bloody and bruised ::: shot in the arm, shot at, saved, helped to stand

1.11 : rescued, concern for him, bruised and bloody face::: worried about someone, in a motorcycle accident ::: still bloody and bruised, worried for someone, helped to walk ::: helped to walk, slid down a wall, looked after, wound reveal, treated, emotional ::: asleep ::: handcuffed himself to Black, fought, in shock, defiant

1.12 : still handcuffed to Black, eye still bruised, upset ::: emotional, saved White, crying ::: difficulty sleeping

1.13 : scared, chased, shot at ::: cornered, defiant, manhandled, physically restrained, arrested, saved

1.14 : on the run ::: running away, cornered, scared, hit, at gunpoint, coughing, threatened, kidnapped ::: captive, restrained, crying, scared ::: saved, emotional

Yok

1.01 : none

1.02 : ran into a burning building, saving someone

1.03 : at gunpoint

1.04 : none

1.05 : chased by the police

1.06 : none

1.07 : manhandled, handcuffed, scared, taken ::: still handcuffed, struggling, manhandled, defiant

1.08-1.09 : none

1.10 : sparring, bloody and bruised, helped to stand ::: shot at

1.11 : concerned about someone ::: concerned for someone, scared ::: in shock

1.12 : emotional

1.13 : scared, chased, shot at, shot, concern for him ::: pressure put on his wound, losing consciousness, concern for him ::: in the hospital, looked after ::: cornered, betrayed, crying, handcuffed, saved, weak

1.14 : on the run, in pain, helped to stand, groaning, helped to walk, concern for him ::: helped to walk, weak, groaning ::: running away, cornered, scared, helped to walk, in a lot of pain, grabbed, at gunpoint, concern for him, kidnapped ::: captive, restrained, crying, concern for him, scared ::: saved, emotional, helped to sit, groaning

Dan

1.01 : none

1.02 : ran into a burning building, saved

1.03 : chased

1.04 : none

1.05 : chased by the police

1.06 : none

1.07 : struggling, very briefly sorta fought

1.08 : crying

1.09 : none

1.10 : shot at

1.11 : weak, sweaty, about to pass out, concern for him ::: concern for him, helped to walk, weak, wound reveal, heavy breathing, bleeding, wound treated, sweating, looked after ::: emotional, comforted

1.12 : emotional

1.13 : emotional, crying ::: (flashbacks: taken, restrained (rope), hood over his face, anxious) ::: fought

1.14 : crying, punched, emotional

-------

MORE WHUMP LISTS >>> {x}

[dannyphantom-justiceleauge]

This may be a minor gripe but something that has kind of bothered me about discussions and depictions of Dan is how often people seem to forget that Dan isn't just an older evil Danny, he's a combination of Danny and Vlad's ghost sides. Like people always talk about him like Danny threw away his humanity and turned evil but that's not even true. Sure, we can say that Dan is the result of Danny's action but that's a little unfair. (1/2)

(2/2) Him cheating on a test, coincidentally putting his loved one's in a position where they could be killed, is absolutely not his fault. Letting Vlad take away his ghost powers with a strange contraption might not have been the smartest move, but we are talking about a grieving CHILD here, of course he isn't going to make the best decisions. If anything Vlad's the one to blame here, and even then, it's not like he could predict what happened

---

you aren't wrong, my friend. it really isn't entirely danny's fault and the whole 'if you cheat on a test, you'll loose everything you love' moral is confused at best. i think as fandom we find it more interesting to look at danny's potential evil and moral struggle with himself. so simplifying it to be dan is a worse case scenario of danny makes the conflict less abstract.

particularly because when it comes to self blame danny isn't going to go easy on himself just because it was excusable mistakes.

i think another talking point should be how danny is the target of the time assassination more than vlad is, even though vlad is part of the evil whole. you could argue that danny is the catalyst of his friends death and vlad inventing the claw things. but vlad invented the claw things. maybe because his human side survived and acted relatively harmless from then on? or maybe it's because the observants based on the available evidence recognized danny as more of a threat. i think that fits actually, for all vlad tried to be an evil mastermind, his achievements outside of terrorizing a teenager and theft isn't particularly impressive. danny was the one who got shit done. all his fights he finished one way or another and i could see how that would bleed into dan defeating everyone.

the real question is how to we fix this. ideally we could shape this idea so it's less confused, though i do honestly find the dynamic of half danny, half vlad interesting. if for not other reason. than two half ghosts make a whole. actually that's something else to be said about dan. his self-loathing is what led him to killing his human half, another negative aspect coming from danny.

i wonder if we could frame it like fusion, from su. obviously dan isn't stable or healthy, or based on love. he's most comparable to malichite. but with less internal debate. dan took the best and worst of both of them. danny's determination, danny's fighting ability, danny's anger, danny's sarcasm, vlad's anger, vlads lack of morals, vlads schemes, vlad's control. heck, vlads desire to rule the world. i don't think we ever got that from danny.

maybe if vlad was more involved in the fight with dan it could have been used as an opportunity to compare and contrast their characters. to go we're not so different you and i. danny gets to recognize that he has that dark potential. vlad gets to be humbled by the fact that what he wants isn't good for anyone, especially himself. and to be fair, we do see some of that humbling with future vlad, but none of that character growth is given to present vlad, so, really it's just another vehicle for danny angst. it also depends on what you want to do with vlad though. he's a fascinating character and could be given redemption under the right circumstances or be a character who has the opportunity for redemption but chooses not to be redeemed every time.

that fits him and makes him both a more pathetic and despicable villain. it's hard to pity someone who ignores the opportunities to heal and grow.

as for danny, he becomes far more aware of the consequences his actions, especially his selfish and cruel ones can have. because that potential was always there. he has a history of abusing his powers. perhaps for this specific incident him abusing his powers can be something less understandable than almost cheating on a test that he couldn't study for through no fault of his own. (maybe i just have flexible morals?). maybe it could be something more character relevant, like he did something particularly vlad like, maybe he set up a prank at the nasty burger to get dash but it set off the explosion that killed his family. or maybe he did something particularly cruel and manipulative. there are better catalysts than a test. either way he recognized that he should never go that far again and strive to avoid being actively cruel.

he also has the opportunity to recognize that vlad does have a human half, even the one he's fighting everyday. he can face some conflict in it's not entirely clear what trait belongs to vlad and what trait belongs to him. he can empathize with vlad and he can recognize that situations aren't always in black in white. those who fly the highest, fall the hardest, after all.

it can be a growing experience. and while making it solely a danny goes bad and learns not to do evil kind of story. maybe we could cut vlad from the equation and just have danny face himself, full evil refection. i think exploring both vlad and danny through this fusion is far more interesting. especially because we can build on what's revealed about vlad in these episodes, in later ones. danny sees a future where vlad chills and that maybe his vlad could get their. later he see vlads past and what he lost to become who he is.

and then there's vlads turning point episodes. i don't know when motherly instinct took place but maddie fully recognizing he's a bastard and rejection him, was a turning point for his sanity, and danny helped it along. then we have danny rejecting him repeatedly, then we the clone episode, which we can all agree was a desperate move on his part, that danny once again thwarted. and we can all agree that this was the cannon turning point for his character where he stopped fighting for a family and started trying to be danny's villain. in that episode, i think danny could potentially pity vlad enough to try and reach out. he's not going to justify what vlad did and he's not going to apologize for stopping him. he went too far. he hurt danny and dani, he crossed a moral line that can't be justified even with his desperation. but if he changes...

he lost this time but if he changes, maybe they'll reach the point where they're ready to accept him.

i think the same thing could be said about his relationship with jack and maddie. if he changes, if he reaches out. if acts like less of a crazy fruitloop, his friends would be there for him. jack is still trying to be there for him, even if he's being oblivious about vlad's faults. vlads the one driving wedges into his relationships and pushing everyone away.

and that's so freaking human and understandable.it would be such a cool thing to explore with his character.

i could also see a potential arc where after valerie finds out vlad and masters are the same person she tries to get close to him, both to sus out how evil he is and to understand him as a halfa. afterall danny got her to acknowledge dani as human enough, the same would apply to vlad/plasmius, right? only he's a bad person and the more she uncovers about vlad masters the man, the more she realizes it's not the ghost half that's evil. but this is a double edged sword because, vlad is getting attached to her and encouraging her to be more evil. he's encouraging her to go darker and darker in her fight against ghosts and her fight specifically against phantom. to the point where she finally draws the line and says, i'm not doing that! boom exploring the moral ambiguity of her character and getting her to take a hard stance on her morals, because there's a line too far for her.

and boom a further breakdown of vlads character because he finally had someone outside the fentons to redeem him. she could have helped pull him out of the hole he'd been digging himself into. she wanted to help him. he got attached to her, but he and his bad decisions decided to dig himself deeper instead. so once again he's 'abandoned and betrayed'.

from that point, i think it'd be time for him to finally face jack head on. not through manipulative schemes. not through veiled threats and insults. but the full confrontation of 'i always hated you. you ruined my life. you're the reason i lost everything'. which is really just his own self loathing speaking. and jack... empathetic jack can see that vlad desperately wants help. and jack would offer it to him. jack would try to hug it out and apologize and give vlad the love and friendship vlad's been fighting to steal this whole time.

and vlad would reject it.

he'd probably lash out a jack and go into a full breakdown/world destroying attack. could finally put the stolen crown to use and try declaring himself king and embracing his megalomaniac thing and actually be a threat this time. and THAT would be our series finally. everyone teaming up to fight 'king vlad'. danny probably finding out that he's technically king because he beat pariah dark but the matter being a bit confused because he had help. val and danny trying to find the ring of rage or at least find someone who can make one. secrets are out. i imagine vlad, upon revealing himself to jack would out danny to make danny as sad and alone as him. except nope, his family still loves him and val has had the character development to come around to him. (she's still gonna punch danny for lying for so long.) the ghosts will come and help because no one wants another tyrannical kind and vlads obviously off his rocker.

ah, the could have beens

anyway, i didn't mean for this to become a full vlad character analysis and rewrite when we were supposed to be talking about dan, but hey, i'm a simple creature. i like good writing, and i have to rewrite things myself, so be it. - Hestia