#the test was a roaring success

[suntoru]

─ ✰ HEARTBREAK ANNIVERSARY.

─ SYNOPSIS: rin misses you. he wonders if breaking up with you was really worth it.

─ WARNINGS: 1.2k words!! angst, regret, pining, exes, perhaps ooc rin, probably bland but!! it’s here

─ AUTHOR’S NOTE: RIN GIRLIES HERE IS UR MAN <3

— rin’s eyes anxiously dart around, scanning for your face somewhere in the stands, an unconscious habit he hasn’t been able to drop. the roar of thousands of fans cheering him on, yet strangely, the absence of satisfaction lingers within him.

it’s weird, even he knows it, that he still hopes his ex comes to his soccer matches. he’s fully aware that you are unlikely to be present, but even so, a lingering sliver of hope refuses to fade. and it’s strange, because he was the one who broke up with you to pursue his career, he was the one who broke your heart, he was the one who'd made you cry... so why does his heart feel so damn empty when you aren’t there to watch him soar?

fuck. this isn’t the time to be thinking about this. so with an annoyed huff, he pushes his feelings aside, and plays ball.

as the final whistle blows, everybody in the stadium erupts into cheers, confetti cascading down to honor the exceptional achievement. japan won nationals, rin scoring the winning goal by himself, marking tokyo's historic first-ever victory. his eyes widen with disbelief, puffing from the exertion of the intense match. the weight of the moment settles on his shoulders, and he couldn't help but look up, expecting to see the familiar sight of your proud face in the crowd, your pretty eyes catching onto his— oh. that’s right. you won’t be there anymore.

his smile falls the slightest bit. the sensation of pride and joy seems to snap almost instantly, and he doesn’t know why. this… this was his goal, his dream. the thing he wanted most in the world, in the palm of his hand. and really, he should be more happy, but he can’t seem to shake off the sinking feeling in his stomach.

his radiant smile begins to falter, a subtle shift in the atmosphere as the waves of pride and joy that had enveloped him seemed to snap abruptly. this achievement, this culmination of his dreams and aspirations, now lays within his grasp. one would expect satisfaction and happiness to course through his veins, yet an inexplicable unease settled in the pit of his stomach, casting a shadow over the moment. ignoring all his teammates’ cheers and screams, he speeds towards the locker room to get changed and go home.

his house really isn’t any better. (he questions if it’s really ‘home’ without you.) the concept of "home" now feels strangely foreign, a place that should be comforting but is instead tinged with an undeniable sense of absence. it's as if the essence of warmth has been drained away.

the once-inviting space lacks the comforting sprawl of your giant stuffed animals overtaking the bed or the mountains of your clothes taking over the closet. a peculiar emptiness lingers, a void that cannot be filled by mere physical belongings. the silence within the familiar walls is unsettling.

rin finds it quite odd not feeling your arms wrap around his torso, giving him a peck as you asked about his day. it’s strangely… quiet as well. there’s no you singing along to some laufey song completely out of tune, no alarm going off because you burnt the takoyaki, or the constant hum of the tv playing in the background. it's a quietude that, rather than offering solace, only accentuates the hollowness of the space. he’s not so sure he likes it.

he stares at the shiny, gold metal he had received. his mind, despite receiving a sparkly, golden-hued award— an emblem of achievement— stubbornly fixates his thoughts of you. he finds himself gazing at the metallic surface, a token of success that pales in comparison to the vibrant memories of your presence. he recalls your playful curiosity, imagining how you would have marveled at the gold medal, playfully testing its authenticity with an endearing chomp. he misses it. he misses you.

and he wonders what you might've changed his contact to. stupid ex, maybe? loser bitch? he deserves it. but he can't help but wonder, is there a possibility he'd still be 'rinnie', or 'my love' with a heart that never made sense because it looked more like a cheeky smile to him? (he wishes he had treasured you just a little bit more.) is he blocked? or is he just another number in your phone now? do you reread the messages he sent to you?

because he does. your contact name is still ‘loml’. he has every single photo you sent saved. he stares at the old "i love you" texts night after night after night. it's pathetic, really, but his heart aches for those moments when you'd scold him for overexerting himself, when you'd sleepily wake up at two am just to make him a hot meal when he came back late, when you'd stick those tacky hello kitty bandaids on top of the scrapes he got from soccer. he misses your good luck kisses, the ones where you'd pull his face down to your height and let out a big dramatic 'mwah!' in front of all his teammates— where he'd grumble and complain but his cheeks were undeniably a bright rosy red.

but above all, the vivid memory etched in his mind is the pain he inflicted upon you. your voice trembling, tears streaming down your flushed cheeks as you desperately clung to his arm, seeking an explanation. "what do you mean, rin? i don't understand. did i do something wrong?" your words quivered, on the verge of shattering, yet he callously shrugged you off, meeting your tear-filled eyes with a chilling glare.

"you're just a distraction. sorry, but soccer's more important to me."

he recalls the way your hand slowly fell away, the slow nod of comprehension, and the sight of your trembling bottom lip as you fought valiantly not to crumble. he was stupid. so, so stupid. he wishes he had pulled you into the shelter of his arms, confessed his foolishness, and reassured you that he didn't mean those hurtful words. or better yet, he wishes he didn’t say them at all. and he wants to ask, have you moved on? do you find your heart fluttering for somebody else, threatening to beat out of your chest like you once made him feel?

to be loved is to be seen. you saw him beyond the carefully constructed mask, piercing through the layers of the egoist the world molded him to be. in your gaze, he wasn't just the world's best striker or sae's little brother; he was itoshi rin. and that was enough for you.

oh, how utterly foolish he was to let you go. are you still as pretty as ever? (of course you are. you’ve never not looked absolutely stunning to him.) do you still smile as brightly as you once shone, his precious shooting star? he hopes you still find a reason to break into a grin every day.

but the question that is constantly on his mind like a broken record player. if he were to grovel and beg, surrendering his pride on his hands and knees, would you accept him back?

for a moment, he considers it. calling you. his finger hovers tentatively over the ‘audio’ call button, mere millimeters away from hearing you again. rin so desperately wishes to hear your sweet voice, see your angelic face, to be able to bask in your presence once more. would you be shocked? happy shocked, or enraged shocked, or maybe you wouldn’t pick up at all. would he go to voicemail? if he left one, would you listen? do you miss him as much as he has missed you all this time? (it’s been a month, but to him it felt like years.) yet, as the gravity of his past actions weighs heavily in his heart, an inexplicable hesitation ensnares him. you… don’t deserve this. you’re healing right now, he’s already chosen himself once, it would be utterly selfish to do it again. with a heavy exhale, he gingerly sets down his phone, fixing his gaze upon the ceiling above.

and suddenly, soccer doesn't feel like his passion after all. he wonders if it was really you.

his bed feels a little bit too cold now.

© KAEFFEINEE 2022-2024. do not copy, repost, or translate any of my works on any platform.

[dnsbarbie]

Paining: Charles Leclerc X Nepo!OC

Summary: Sofina faces challenges on the first race of the season and sees the face of the person she fears the most.

Warnings: Cursing/Abusive language and actions

Previous Chapter

Notes: A bit of a heavy chapter but nothing too extreme. Please let me your thoughts on this chapter and if you want to be added in the tag list.

The paddock had always been a place of refuge to Sofina. An escape from fast-paced life she had been subjected into. Her love for motorsports started when she witnessed Charles raced in France at merely 7 years old, on her birthday. Sofina would do well to think he was the reason for her ongoing pursuit to aid him and Ferrari with their needs. There was no hesitation on her part when it came down to providing and she would happily do whatever it takes in the goodness of her heart.

Today, as the bristling sounds of engines and cheers filled her hearing, she stood from the stool she had been wilting on. The point in her brow more prominent than ever, matching the deep scowl settled on her lips as she focused her gaze on the screen where the race was being projected.

It was lap 38 of the Bahrain Grand Prix. Unlike the promising result from the Pre-Testing Season, the current state of the team was far from successful.

Charles was a position lower than where he started and a surprise to no one, Max was leading by an obscene number of seconds.

Sofina slammed her hands on the wooden table, and despite having those massive headphones in the ears, the occupants flinched at the sudden explosive reaction from their dearest sponsor.

“What the hell is happening?” Sofina roared, whipping her head to Charles’s race engineer, Xavier “Xavi” Marcos Padros.

Blood pumped rapidly in her veins at the lack of response, seemingly worsening when she heard the grating sigh Xavi had the audacity to release.

Her eye twitched, not able to stopped herself as she shoved Xavi’s shoulder, fingers gripping at his Ferrari shirt. She ignored Fred Vasseur’s useless attempts behind her to calm her down.

It was probably the adrenaline and stress that all came with tonight’s race, when she saw the fear slowly creeping into Xavi’s feature’s she could not explain the overwhelming amount of elation she had experienced.

“Tell me.” She gritted, wrinkling Xavi’s shirt to the point of no return.

The Spanish race engineer swallowed the lump on his throat, as he trembled under the furry of Sofina’s glare, unable to look elsewhere in the fear of having his eyes possibly gouged out by the her devilish hands.

“Th-There seems to be pr-problem with the b-brakes—” He nearly lost all the taces of masculinity in his body when she responded.

“What?”

Her icy tone froze the whole room, and silence bounced on the walls, everyone afraid to move a muscle as if they’d be burned on a stick if they dared to try.

The people in the garage cringed at the ear-piercing scoff Sofina gave Xavi. They were aware of how the female business magnate perceived errors in the team. Sofina believes that a failure isn’t done by one person but rather every single one responsible of overseeing the car. Not only that, there was not a soul in that garage who wasn’t aware of Charles’s importance to Sofina.

Her ferocity towards them was, in fact, reasonable.

“You sent him out there with broken brakes?” She hissed, releasing her death grip on Xavi with a push strong enough to send him leaning back on his seat. “What now, then? We just let him race like that and hope for the best?”

Sofina’s attention was now at Fred, craning her neck towards him for answers but the solemn look on his face was enough before he even got to whatever daft explanation he had.

“It were working well earlier as well as it did in the Qualifying . . .” Fred sighed, confusion and disappointment flooding his face. “I-I don’t know how this happened.”

“Is that right?” Sofina laughed, dripping with anger. “Charles has done nothing but nearly break track limits at every corner!”

They’re all in luck. Sofina thought.

If he was less of the brilliant driver he was, he would’ve crashed ages ago and their heads would be served on a silver platter on her father’s desk.

A chill ran down her spine at the thought of her dad. The reason for her prickly attitude and the bane of her existence. She began to unwilling peddle back to his demand for a better performance from Charles and didn’t help that the team was currently deteriorating in the first race of the year.

Sofina didn’t have to be in her father’s presence to hear the infuriated thoughts and colorful words radiating from him wherever he was right now. He had made it known to her that he would be watching this Grand Prix and if he was here physically, she could see him stating the embarrassing position she had put him in, how irresponsible and idiotic she was to ever consider putting her trust in this time and again.

Defeated, she had no choice but to let her thoughts simmer and see how everything pans out.

Who knows? Perhaps the universe will finally take a look at her pitiful self and decide she deserves a break.

Admittedly, wishing for the universe’s mercy was and will forever be a deluded move. The universe turns a blind eye, or Sofina would dare say, stare while her body bursts into flames and laughs at her misfortunes.

However, as much as her initial instincts grappled against her throat, yelling through the seams of her sanity to spout her dilemma and make this about her. In a different setting, maybe she would have but the choking dismay on Charles’s face once he entered the garage made her resolve crumble in a second.

She watched from afar as he patted and nodded at the team, thanking them for a job well done. His smile didn’t match the obvious disappointment that swam in his eyes, seemingly wavering as it met hers.

Sofina started to stand, meeting him halfway into an embrace. The mixture of heat, sweat and the smell of smoke filled her lungs as she pulled him closer.

The pat she laid on his back differed from the ones the team gave him, Charles notices. While he was grateful for the intent and support of it, it was full of pity that made him feel terrible and guilty. Beyond those, was the soft caress of Sofina’s delicate hands on him. He sagged in her arms, promptly tightening his coiled arms around her waist.

“I’m so proud of you!” She beamed, fingers traveling up the nape of his neck. “You were fantastic!”

Charles pulled away, catching her gazing immediately. “You looked pretty mad, though.”

Sofina snorted, smirking at his frowning face. “Oh? Where’d you see?”

“A reporter showed it to me,” He said, judgmental eyes staring down at her.

While she nodded, Charles slowly leaned down to level of her ear. As if there’s a magnetic force, Sofina automatically gravitates towards his waiting lips. Hot breath trickled on her skin as he whispered, “I was about to feel bad for them but I remembered I almost destroyed the car at every turn.”

Sofina contained the shiver that was to ripple down her spine when Charles chuckled lowly in her ear. Despite having the one that in a speeding car merely a few minutes ago, she felt as if the heat coursing through her veins equaled to that of Charles’s post-race adrenaline.

“You shouldn’t feel bad,” She assured, ignoring abrasive pounding in her chest as she glanced at the Ferrari crew and Fred chatting with each other just a few feet away from them. “They shouldn’t have let drive a car that could’ve killed you in the first place.”

Charles followed the turn of her head, agreeing at the obvious. “They try.”

This of course, was met with a sharp scoff. “They always try. When will they actually—” Sofina stopped, catching her unbecoming annoyance come to the surface. She took in a long breath and shifted her gaze back to Charles. “Let’s just forget about it . . . Are you finish?” She glanced over his body that was blocking the cameras from the outside.

“I am.” Charles tilts his body to shadow the curve of her spine as she looked forward, hoping to snatch her attention back. He frowned as Sofina’s eyes zeroed in on the object of her distraction, staring stright ahead and not regarding his presence, enough for Charles to search for what it might be.

Oh.

It was indeed a distracting sight. He squinted at the sudden outpour of clicks and flashes, along with the rowdy voices of the ocean of journalists, shouting through the atmosphere with their entire chests.

Sofina, on the other hand, started to go deaf. The bleary volume of the noises plummeted in her hearing, similar to water accidentally entering her ears at the figure that approached her. And as the distance got smaller, the more lightheaded she felt.

The celebratory cheer she had practiced for Charles thrown out her brain, leaving her helpless and lost. She began to feel the wetness of her palms from sweat, making her close it into a fist.

“Dad.” At nearly sounded like a question. As if her eyes had deceived her. She wished it did. The notion of her possibly hallucinating was far more comforting than the horrible reality of her father standing in front of her at this moment.

“Sofina.”

Comes the curt greeting and ever-so downward curve of his lips as he stared down at her. The wrinkles on his forehead deeper as his brows pulled with his unpleased scowl.

“I didn’t think you’d be able to make it!” She mustered up her best effort to be enthusiastic, giving him a wide smile despite the grueling knot in her stomach.

“How could I not?” Sofina cringed at the piercing loudness of his voice, booming into the walls of the garage as he glared at her. If she were to listen hard enough, the sound of his teeth chafing could be heard from their distance.

Sofina held a breath as she took into account the several prying eyes burning into her still figure. The urge to avoid her father’s scorching glare was nearly as intense as her will to save the bits of her dignity but she chose the latter.

She managed to look him in the eye, softly muttering. “I think it would be better to talk about this in private.”

It was unclear whether anyone away from their radius would’ve heard her but if they did, one could account for the slight quiver of her voice as she spoke to him. The thought of being seen as a weak vulnerable woman sent her sanity into a crazed blinking red light, alarms in her head going off to retreat away from this exposed scene.

Her pending humiliation was cut short as her father agreed to her request. Her relief came in a flow of fresh water, sighing into ease. She led the way, in the hopes to find an empty room.

She resisted to strong desire to look back at the green orbs she could feel staring at the back of her head and although she wished someone would rescue her from the terrifying flames of her father’s wrath, she wasn’t selfish enough to let Charles touch the fire that was meant for her.

“When will you start using that godforsaken brain of yours?”

The moment the door locked into place and the slightly flickering lights of the empty office steadied, the lump obstructing Sofina’s throat began to expand. Heat seared on her entire body at the cutting hiss of her father’s deafening roar.

She rubbed her hands together, as if to ebb away the quake in them before she spoke unable to lift her head from the ground.

“It hasn’t happened yet, I can still cancel—”

"You should not have given them the chance to think that you’d even consider to ally yourself with them!”

Sofina flinched back, the echo of his voice setting her a few paces behind as he suddenly turned into her direction.

“Do you have any idea how degrading this is for our family?” He stalked forward, and Sofina could barely register their proximity until his black polished oxfords came into her view.

Her breath picked up, swallowing immensely as her throat began to dry. She tried to focus, noticing her hearing becoming scattered and cloudy as blood pouded wildly into her ears.

It was a moment of desperation. When she had heard about Maximilian Rothchild’s interest to support Ferrari, nothing else seemed to matter. Thus, she failed to see the flaws of this plan which would have been more obvious if she was in the right mind.

Sofina was someone who took her work very seriously. The one listed and made notes about every single error or improvement at the moves she was to make. The perfectionist among her siblings and the person who thought everything through. She was supposed to prevent mistakes before they got the chance to happen.

Embarrassment wrung on her neck as her actions became clear in her mind and she couldn’t help but groan in discomfort at her own idiocy.

“I wasn’t thinking—" She was immediately cut off at her admission and she couldn’t do more than accept her fate.

“You were not thinking!” Her father yelled, cementing his heavy hand on each side of her shoulder as he leaned down to her face. When she refused to give him her gaze, he squeezed her shoulders.

“Look at me when I’m talking to you!”

Sofina whimpered as the ponderous palms that weight her down dug into her skin, deep enough to be felt in her bones. The pain forced her to look up, teeth gritting as nervousness gripped at her sanity as she came eye to eye with the ferocious beast and if it wasn’t for the same mahogany eyes he had inherited from him, she would have forgotten her relation to him.

“Are you trying to humiliate me? Huh?” He shook her, rattling the resolve she had been building up. “I sent you to the finest schools and you’ve topped your classes but I’m going to tell you right now, it all amounted to nothing. You’re just as brainless as you were before I sent you away.”

He released her from the blood cutting grip, forceful enough to push her to the ground. Sofina grunted as she landed on the floor, the shock somehow erased her instinct to catch herself. A small crack, clicked at the air as she twisted her wrist.

But without a care, her father continued to stare at her, towering over her injured figure. “You will fix this. I will not have those pesky journalists see you work with a Rothchild. Do you understand?”

With her abled hand holding the other, she nodded, taking deep breaths as she answered. “More than anything.”

He began to reach for the door, but turned back. “Tell your Charles to get it together before I replace him.” And he shut the door behind him with a loud bang.

The silence Sofina was left with was soon disturbed when she began to feel the pain of her wrist. She groaned as she got to her feet, clutching the damaged area to her body. She only let go to twist the doorknob and peak her head through the hallway to make sure no one was there to witness her pathetic self.

She skipped out the room, adrenaline soaring to her veins as she tried conceal the pain from showing in her face whenever she would pass people. She was looking the other way when she turned the corner and to her misfortunes, she bumped into someone, her hand instinctively coming out to push the person away, making her jerk back at the sudden pressure she applied on her wrist.

She hissed, retracting her hand back to cradle it on her chest. Her head snapped towards the person, ready to reprimand him. It all but died in her throat as she was met by the same oceanic leafy orbs that was filled with unmistakable worry.

“Hey!” Perhaps to compensate for her wavering nerves, her greeting came unnaturally loud.

It was useless, as it didn’t deflate the worry in his eyes as he glanced down at where she had her hand clutched to her heart. She was about to hide it at her back but was stopped by Charles’s soft grip on them.

Mortification drew on her face as she maintained a firm gaze on her and she felt flustered under his intense eyes as if trying to draw her out of her mind.

“What happened?”

Sofina stared back at him, brows furrowing in a feign confusion. “What are you talking about?”

He scoffed, frown deepening at her attempt to lie. “Are you hurt? Let me see—”

“I’m fine, Charles.” She insisted, ripping her arm from his grip as she paid no mind to the igniting ache crawling through her bones. “Just leave it.”

Charles was no stranger to Sofina’s display of hostility when it came to asking for help. In times like this he would often try to extract the problem from her defensive system before she completely shuts down any source of aid. However, the sight of her purpling wrist was enough to disregard his usual respect for her space as annoyance began to creep through his veins.

“Come with me.” Before Sofina can respond, he pulled her in tow, keeping a solid grasp on around her waist, carefully navigating them until they reached the parking lot.

As the wind outside hit her face, Sofina pulled back. “I’m not going to a random hospital!”

“I’m not taking you to one. Calm down.” He mumbled, glancing back at her apprehensive expression. He sighed, halting his movements as he realized the roughness of how he handled her. “I have a first aid kit in my car. Whatever happened to you, I can try and dress it then we can go home and call your doctor if that’s what you want. Is that okay?”

The heaviness of her chest subdued at the softness and understanding in his voice, prompting her to nod at his proposition.

“Good. Now come on. Let’s see what we can do about your hand.”

Sofina reached for his hand with her uninjured one, gripping it and relishing the comforting hear it radiated on her palm.

The previous fear and nervous state she had been in slowly decreased as the time of them together passed by. She often wondered what were to happen to her had she refused to celebrate her birthday on a racetrack back in 2005.

How different would her life be if that day didn’t happen? Would she have been happier? Perhaps her father would still love her like he did.

Either way, she will never be permitted to turn back time no matter how many birthday wishes she wastes on it. She was here now and the only thing she can do is live through it even with the hallow ache in her heart where her father's affection used to reside.

Tag-list: @seairsunset@mindflay3r@tangointhequango@bwormie@eugene-emt-roe@herondalism@comfortzonequeen@weekendlusting@nomie-11@i-ship-bullshit-2020@cc13723things@charlesgirl16@namgification@charizznorizz@missenclod@outerudeth @lady-laura-speaks @fandomscompilation @bwormie @embersparklz @butterfly-lover @sargeantdumbass @a-moment-captured @starshiips @piceous21 @leclucklerc

[blackhistorystoryteller]

AFRICAN PROVERBS AND THEIR MEANINGS

This is a message to my black brothers and sisters

Learn about African proverbs and know your culture is filled with poetry

1) Only a fool tests the depth of a river with both feet.

Meaning: You don’t jump straight into a situation without thinking about it first.

2) Knowledge is like a garden: If it is not cultivated, it cannot be harvested.

Meaning: If you don’t make efforts to acquire knowledge then you would not expect to have it and if you do not put the knowledge you have to use, you cannot expect to gain anything from it.

3) Sugarcane is sweetest at its joint.

Meaning: Good and sweet things of life may appear difficult to achieve but in the end, it is worth it.

4) If you offend, ask for a pardon; if offended forgive.

Meaning: This is as simple as it sounds: If you upset someone, apologise to him or her. If someone upsets you, forgive him or her because what goes around, comes around.

5) Don’t set sail using someone else’s star.

Meaning: Avoid copying someone else. Just because someone has been successful in what he/she does should not be what will make you to do the same thing and expect to be successful.

6) The best way to eat an elephant in your path, is to cut him up into little pieces.

Meaning: The best approach to solving a problem is to take it bit by bit; one at a time.

7) A restless feet may walk into a snake pit.

Meaning: If someone is busy doing nothing or is involved in what he does not know about, it is easy for him/her to get into trouble.

8) A chick that will grow into a cock can be spotted the very day it hatches.

Meaning: You can easily foresee the future of something through the character and tell-tale signs it exhibits today.

9) After a foolish deed comes remorse.

Meaning: Feeling sorry always follows a foolish act.

10) A man who pays respect to the great paves the way for his own greatness.

Meaning: What goes around, comes around so whatever you sow, you shall reap.

11) He who does not know one thing knows another.

Meaning: No one knows everything, but everyone knows something.

12) A roaring lion kills no one.

Meaning: You cannot achieve or gain anything by mere sitting around and just talking about it.

13) Do not call the forest that shelters you a jungle.

Meaning: Do not insult someone who is taking care of your responsibility or taking care of you.

14) When a king has good counsellors, his reign is peaceful.

Meaning: What defines a man is the circumstances and people around him and if they are good, he turns out good.

15) It takes a whole village to raise a child.

Meaning: The society is responsible for the moral characters it creates and everyone in a community should be responsible for helping to train a child irrespective of who the parents are; offering correction where they are needed.

16) If a child washes his hands he could eat with kings.

Meaning: If you prepare and allow yourself to be well trained when you have the opportunity, you will achieve a lot and be favoured in due course.

17) The Rain does not fall on one roof.

Meaning: Trouble comes to everyone at one time or another.

18) Life is like a mist or a shadow; it quickly passes by.

Meaning: Life is too short, and you only live it once.

19) Wherever a man goes to dwell, his character goes with him.

Meaning: What defines a man is his character which is, inseparable from him and follows him everywhere he goes.

20) Do not look where you fell, but where you slipped.

Meaning: Don’t look at your mistakes; look at what caused your mistakes, otherwise you may repeat the same mistake again.

He who sees an old hag squatting should leave her alone; who knows how she breathes?

Meaning: You should never interfere in someone's issues, particularly when you do not know anything about them.

Anger against a brother is felt on the flesh, not in the bone. Meaning: You should forget and forgive anything your relatives did to you.

Maize bears fruits once and dies because it is not rooted in the ground. Meaning: You will never get to the top and stay prosperous without a good foundation.

He who will swallow the 'udala' seed must consider the size of his stomach. Meaning: 'Udala' seed is an apple seed. It is never digested in the stomach

[prokopetz]

I'm very close to running a campaign of Space Gerbils with some friends and I'm curious about how a combat-oriented scene might play out.

Let's use the 0.3 rulebook's example of a "giant radiation-spewing monster" with a obstacle rating of 5. Would the first action phase in this engagement play out something like:

GM: the monster swipes one giant barbed tentacle across the floor towards you. Players: we want to jump over it! GM: that's fine, "evading" that wouldn't have contributed to beating or escaping the monster so it doesn't trigger a test. you jump over the attack, and the monster roars in frustration! It belches a massive green cloud of radioactive gas in your direction. Players: we wrap ourselves in our null shroud and leap through the cloud towards the monster GM: ok, that also doesn't trigger a test. The monster bellows once more- Players: now! we shoot our plasma cannon into the monster's gaping maw! GM: that triggers a Blast test - roll.

Or would the dodge trigger a test? If it does, would dodging it count as progress towards the obstacle? I'm just not quite sure how much combat I should be allowing the players to do without tests.

I guess since the point of the scene is to beat or escape the monster before the clock runs out, any actions that don't attempt to do those things should be basically free? Including dodging every attack? But then what if the players (for example) couldn't think of a reasonable counter to the radiation cloud and just stood there and tanked it - would you just give them a complication without proceeding to a test?

PS this game's design is really really cool, I'm very excited to see 0.4! Is there a discord or something for playtesters?

A lot of the specifics regarding timing are undergoing significant changes in 0.4 (specifically, a Threat Clock will no longer be a mandatory element of every engagement, though they'll still be an option), but in general, the idea is that, because getting all your ducks – or, rather, space gerbils – in a row in order to make a test in the first place is, by design, a very involved process, you shouldn't be calling for tests for things that don't make progress toward overcoming Obstacles.

Since you only get one test per cycle (barring multitasking or Extravehicular Activity), they can cover a lot of ground. "We jump over the monster's barbed tentacles, use our null shroud to negate its poison gas, and blast it in the face" can all be a single action, provoking a single test, with whatever protocol seems most germane. A single test in Space Gerbils is potentially putting the same weight as an entire round worth of the whole party's actions in a more conventional RPG, so it should have similar narrative impact.

One slightly subtle trap it's easy to fall into here is thinking of an Obstacle's rating as something like D&D hit points, and consequently ending up disallowing anything but Blast tests from reducing it. Even if the Obstacle represents a giant monster, that doesn't have to be the case. Tiring it out by dodging its attacks with Evade, draining its radioactive energy with Channel, and finally putting a plasma bolt between its eyes at point-blank range with Blast could be three separate tests across three successive cycles, and – assuming they all succeed – a minimum of three points off the Obstacle's rating, if you want to play things out in that much detail.

Version 0.4 is going to discuss this in some depth, along with introducing a more fine-grained system for tracking Obstacle ratings. (In brief: the present Obstacle rating benchmarks get multiplied by two, and successful tests shave off 1–3 points based on various factors.) It's also going to address edge cases like "what if the players try to knock off the final point of an Obstacle's rating with something that couldn't reasonably eliminate it?", with the general thrust being "just go with it"; e.g., if they really want to knock the final point off of a giant monster Obstacle's rating with, I don't know, Shift, maybe it falls into a bottomless pit while chasing them, or something to that effect.

With respect to the specific example of the radiation cloud, you'd probably want to handle the players deciding to just ignore or walk through it using the rules for failing to frame one's actions in such a way as to avoid triggering an active Hazard. Version 0.4 will include a saving throw mechanic for groups that really enjoy rolling dice for that sort of thing, as well as other piddly stuff that doesn't warrant triggering a test. (Short version: if some incidental or purely reactive Hazard comes up and it's unclear whether the described response would trigger it or not, roll a single die, and if it comes up odd you get whammied. Any space gerbil can cite an installed system which logically ought to protect against whatever it is to roll two dice and take the more favourable result instead.)

With respect to Discord, there is not currently any sort of playtesting forum for Space Gerbils, as I'm currently too busy to moderate one. That may change once I get version 0.4 out the door and I'm able to shift focus from writing it to fine-tuning it.

Do you have any questions?

[bloodybigwardrobe]

it’s a cruel fate, to be a child-yet not-but still. a fate of mounting dread, of hurdles long passed, of body prisons and cracking voices. a fate worse than death, in their eyes.

the first time lucy feels herself well up over something her true self had long since moved above, she freezes, then sobs for hours. “we’re not just trapped,” she cries into peter’s chest, her hands too small where they bunch in his entirely wrong clothes. “it’s not just a cage. it’s torture.” it leaves her bereft, stuck with overflowing eyes and a voice that can no longer carry the songs of her heart like it ought to. it wavers, veers off course like the leaves that wilt above her head. to be a child once more, without her hard-won maturity, without long-honed control of emotions and their display. it aches. to be kicked out and left with growing pains one thought long past.

she doesn’t hide it from the others, holds on tight to keep them together as the world spins them dry. it stains her hands with salt water and ash, but edmund clings right back to bury his head in her shoulder and reach out a helping hand in turn. it hurts to look at him, to look at all of them so far from what they should be, but she keeps her eyes open defiantly.

edmund falls down the stairs and stares at his bruised knee with unknowing eyes. there are no scars that reach up to his knee, no long line of white marking his shin. just a scrape and red skin, marring unblemished skin as though only starting its history now. it jars him, opens the deep well of wrong that he pushed aside in favour of readjustment. he looks down on a blank page, empty of the memories pushing against his skull every hour of the day. there is no proof, he thinks with shaking hands, no proof of the life they lived. a truth he had known already, somewhere, but never sunk in to this extent. he is a book unwritten, with ink trying to push through paper from the inside without success.

they’ve been robbed of not just their bodies, but their history, so he sits down with gritted teeth to capture what they’ve lost in words, if nothing else. susan looks at him with eyes slowly losing their gentle smile and his pen scrapes illegible lines on empty pages.

susan finds herself with her forehead down on her papers, her hands pulled up against her chest as she breathes through the itching need for tears. The ink is misshapen below her, letters looping all wrong. Her hands shake with unlearned skills, uncalloused, unwilling to help her keep their true home between her fingers. It’s cruel, she pleads silently, to not just drop them back into a country that no longer understands them, that their minds no longer fit, but take everything they’ve learned and gone through along with it—returned to clothes and skin far too small, without memories of all they had become. she fears to test the strength of her grip, of her arms, loathes to find a weak back unused to carrying responsibility or drawing a bow. to find herself truly without all that brought her joy.

she curls her hair the same way, even when the strands fall strangely and her hands tremble through it all. it looks nothing like it ought to, but she will find a way. behind her, she watches peter leaning too-thin shoulders against the notches on the doorframe, his too-round jaw set in anger. susan’s hair feels empty in her unmarred hands.

peter doesn’t remember what it was that set him off, but here he is, curled up in the bathroom with a kitchen knife clattering to the floor as he pulls at his own hair. he knows he can’t use the knife, that this is an impulse born out of the horrible itching wish to dig through this ill-fitting child body to find himself again, to find where it all had gone. his voice cracks when he curses and it only makes things worse, to find himself without the roar, without the rumble in his chest. there is no king to find within the pulpy mess inside his ribs, no hand to grasp and pull himself inside out so that the world may be right once more. there is no labyrinth or pit to unearth a now unlived life from, no golden age hidden behind his rushing blood. he can’t fix this.

when lucy picks the lock and his siblings pile in, peter can feel a thin trickle of blood make its way into his brow. susan cradles his hands in hers and sighs at his bloodied nails. edmund looks at him with understanding and deep, purpling bags under his eyes that make peter sob all over again. it’s all wrong, he tells them through his tears, he should have been able to protect them from the horror their lives have become.

lucy, the discarded knife now in hand, tells him with a teary smile that he is not all gone, the complex of a hero king still alive every time he speaks. it’s bleak comfort for them all, but they take it where they can.

[charlosvibesonly]

Racing Hearts - Part 8

A Max Verstappen Imagine

Pairing : Max x fem! reader/driver

End Game

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

Thank you to all you guys for loving Racing Hearts. It was so fun writing this. Ciao!

The paddock buzzed with whispers, and the air was thick with tension as the unexpected twist in the investigation sent shockwaves through the racing world. Red Bull, once on the pedestal of triumph, now found themselves on the precipice of scandal.

Article 1 - The Unraveling of Champions:

In a shocking turn of events, Red Bull Racing's triumphant champions, Max Verstappen and Y/N, find themselves ensnared in controversy. The media spotlight has shifted from their on-track victories to an investigation that threatens to tarnish their legacy.

Every move made by the once-celebrated duo is now under a microscope. From their pit lane conversations to their off-track interactions, no detail is too small to escape scrutiny.

Article 2 - Team Unity Tested:

Red Bull Racing, known for its unyielding team spirit, now faces a formidable challenge. The camaraderie in the garage, once a pillar of strength, is strained as doubt casts a shadow over the team.

Whispers of internal discord circulate as team members navigate the pressure. Will the unity that fueled their victories withstand the relentless storm of criticism?

Article 3 - Champions Under Fire:

The champions who once dominated the podium now find themselves defending not just their titles but their very reputation. Max Verstappen and Y/N are in the eye of a media storm that threatens to dismantle the success they worked tirelessly to achieve.

Critics question every decision, every statement, amplifying the strain on the champions who are accustomed to roaring engines, not deafening scrutiny.

Article 4 - Red Bull's Crisis Management:

With the championship-winning team in crisis, Red Bull Racing grapples with the fallout. The pressure to protect its image intensifies as media speculation reaches a fever pitch.

As the team navigates this uncharted territory, the question remains: Can they weather the storm and emerge stronger on the other side, or will the drama prove too much for the once-invincible Red Bull Racing?

Article 5 - Fragile Foundations:

The foundation of Red Bull Racing, built on triumph and unity, now faces its most formidable test. Max Verstappen and Y/N bear the weight of skepticism, their once unassailable reputation now hanging in the balance.

In the midst of this turmoil, the true measure of champions is revealed. Will they crumble under the pressure, or will they rise above, proving that even in the face of doubt, they remain a force to be reckoned with?

Max and you, once celebrated champions, now faced relentless scrutiny and criticism from the media. Every move was dissected, every word analyzed. The team rallied behind you, but the pressure threatened to tear everything apart.

Yet, the drama took an unexpected turn. A new piece of evidence emerged, seemingly casting doubt on Red Bull's innocence. The media frenzy escalated, and the weight of the situation became unbearable. 

The turning point came when an internal audit within Red Bull Racing uncovered irregularities in Max Verstappen's car from a previous race. The investigation revealed a potential breach of technical regulations, raising questions about the legitimacy of Max's victories.

In a surprising twist, the team decided to make this information public before the governing bodies could launch their own investigation. The move was an attempt at transparency, but it inadvertently ignited a media firestorm. Headlines screamed about Max's car possibly being in violation of the rules, casting doubt not only on his recent achievements but the entire team's credibility.

Max, sensing the potential damage to the team's reputation, made a bold and self-sacrificing decision.

In a press conference that echoed with the clamor of flashing cameras and probing questions, Max announced, "To protect the integrity of Red Bull Racing, I've decided to step away from the team temporarily while the investigation unfolds. I want the focus to be on racing, not distractions. I'll do whatever it takes to ensure Red Bull's legacy remains untarnished."

The room fell silent as the gravity of Max's sacrifice sunk in. The farewell was sudden and heart-wrenching.

The racing world, already shaken by the scandal, was now faced with the absence of one of its brightest stars. The headlines screamed of Max's sacrifice, but they couldn't capture the emotional weight of the moment.

Days turned into weeks, and the investigation continued. The absence of Max left a noticeable void in the team, and the once-united Red Bull Racing struggled to find its footing.

But then came the calm after the storm.

Headline: The Unraveling of Baseless Allegations

In a shocking revelation, the evidence that sent shockwaves through the racing world, casting doubt on Red Bull Racing's integrity, has been debunked. An internal re-evaluation by the governing bodies exposes the initial findings as groundless, leaving Max Verstappen and the team vindicated.

“Mercedes Issues Apology”

In an unprecedented move, Mercedes, the team that had been the primary voice behind the allegations, issued a public apology. Toto Wolff, team principal of Mercedes, conveys regret for the premature accusations and acknowledges the lack of concrete evidence against Red Bull Racing.

"In the spirit of fair play and competition, we must acknowledge when we are wrong," Wolff states. "Our initial concerns were based on incomplete information, and we sincerely apologize to Red Bull Racing, Max Verstappen, and the entire Formula 1 community for any distress our statements may have caused."

Max, having withdrawn from the limelight during the investigation, returned to Red Bull Racing with a mixture of relief and determination.

The racing community, having weathered the storm of controversy, was left to reflect on the implications of baseless allegations and the impact they can have on the integrity of the sport. 

But you two were far from everywhere. Far from the world of racing, in your world.

In Monaco, you were at Max's house overlooking the azure waters. The racing season had come to an end, and the echoes of the dramatic year lingered.

"I never thought we'd make it through," Max confessed, his eyes meeting yours on the balcony.

"Neither did I," you replied, a sense of shared resilience in your gaze.

The sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow on the scene. Max wrapped his arm around you, pulling you closer. "But here we are, stronger than ever."

It was race day. The Bahrain Grand Prix. Max and you were successfully navigating the ups and downs of your life together.

After the post-qualifying interview, Max pulled you away from the lively press room to a secluded, dimly lit room. He pushed you against the wall, sending a shiver through your body.

"So, Y/N, how about letting me win this time?" Max's words, warm against your ear, sent a rush of heat through you.

"In your dreams," you retorted.

Max's grin broadened, "This is going to be so much fun." Without hesitation, he pulled you into a kiss that defied the confines of the shadowy room. It was a fiery blend of desire and an energy that left you breathless.

When the kiss finally broke, Max locked eyes with you, a mischievous glint shining.

"Ready, partner?"

[onlyonetifosi]

BEHIND THE CAMERA -> CHAPTER 11

<- previous series masterlist my main masterlist next ->

anon: sorry for this very small chapter, but i wanted to write about it

The end of the year brought a bitter chill to the Leclerc family, not just from the biting winter winds but from the lingering disappointment in Arthur's heart. Yn could sense her little brother's dejection as he sat in the cozy living room of their Monaco home, surrounded by the warmth of family. Arthur, the youngest Leclerc and once-promising F2 driver, found himself at a crossroads. His dreams had been shattered with DAMS choosing not to renew his contract, leaving him questioning his worth as a racer.

Pascale, the matriarch of the Leclerc clan, wrapped her arms around Arthur. "Mon chéri, you are not a failure. Racing is a tough world,success comes not only from victories but also from overcoming challenges, and setbacks are part of the journey"

Charles, the elder brother, added reassuringly, "You still have so many opportunities, Arthur. You'll bounce back stronger. It's just a bump in the road, not the end of the race."

Lorenzo chimed in, "Tu es toujours notre champion, même dans les moments difficiles. (You are always our champion, even in tough times)"

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

The sun hung low over the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya as the Leclerc siblings gathered at the pit lane. Yn felt a surge of pride and anticipation as she watched her little brother, Arthur, prepare to take the wheel of Charles' scarlet Ferrari. The familiar aroma of petrol and rubber hung in the air, mixing with the nervous excitement that buzzed around the pit.

Charles, the eldest of the Leclerc siblings, leaned against the pit wall, his eyes fixed on the Ferrari with a mix of pride and concern. Yn could sense the weight on his shoulders as the team prepared for the upcoming Formula 1 season.

Arthur, having faced a challenging season in F2, had found himself without a seat for the upcoming season. However, fate had a different plan for him as Ferrari welcomed him as a development driver. The Barcelona test was Arthur's chance to prove himself, driving the same car that his older brother would soon race in the 2024 Formula 1 season.

"Allez Arthur. Montre-leur ce que tu as dans le ventre!" (Come on, Arthur. Show them what you've got!) Yn told him, her words a mix of excitement and encouragement.

Charles patted his brother on the back, saying, "This is your moment, Arthur. Show them what you're made of."

Arthur, his eyes gleaming with determination, climbed into the cockpit. The roar of the Ferrari engine echoed through the circuit as he sped down the straight.

Lorenzo, their older brother, stood nearby, offering a reassuring nod to Charles. "He's got this, Charles. Arthur has the talent, just like you."

Charles managed a small smile, appreciating Lorenzo's support. The roar of the engine drowned out further conversation as the Ferrari roared to life. Yn couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement as the car pulled out onto the track.

Yn exchanged a look with Joris, whispering, "Il a tellement grandi," (He has grown so much).

Pascale, stood with a proud smile, capturing the moment on her phone. "Regardez-les! Mes enfants extraordinaires!" (Look at them! My extraordinary children!)

Joris, Charles' best friend and Yn's boyfriend, stood beside Yn, squeezing her hand gently. "Il va tout déchirer sur la piste, tu verras." (He's going to tear it up on the track, you'll see.)

Yn grinned, her eyes never leaving the speeding Ferrari. "I know he will, Joris. I just hope he gets a chance in F1 this season."

As the red blur of the Ferrari streaked by, Arthur's skill behind the wheel was evident. The radio crackled to life, and the team's communication with Arthur began. "Comment ça se passe, Arthur?" (How's it going, Arthur?) Charles asked through the headset.

"Ça va bien, Charles! La voiture est incroyable!" (It's going well, Charles! The car is amazing!) Arthur's voice crackled back, a mix of excitement and determination.

taglist: @love4lando@gcldtom@im-mi @hiireadstuff@celesteblack08@reblog-princess@sunf1ower16@janeholt3@athena-artemis-dorian-gray@minkyungseokie

[mrkerina]

Decent ; park jisung

— (high school au) in which you’re insecure and he worries about you.

Pairing — Park jisung (nct) x fem!reader

Word count — 1384

Content — You have never gotten validation all your life, life felt a little bleak but he managed to light it up even if for only a moment.

Author’s note — I decided that i’ll post for leisure, still love the feeling of just writing. I’m a sucker for words of affirmation btw.

You look decent.

Your grades are decent.

Your skills are decent.

Decent. That is just what she was. Regardless of how much tireless effort she places in everything she does, all she ends up with is that one word - Decent.

It has never been anything more nor anything less. She felt suffocated by that word like she could never be recognised for being something more. It was as if she was just a figment of imagination in a sea of people. No one wanted someone who was just decent.

They would always go for exceptionally good people. The ones who stood out. Those that were way more skillful, talented or smart in everything they do.

It was just unfair.

Why is it that she was never anything more than decent to anyone? Why did she have to struggle so much just to try to be something better?

Perfection seemed unattainable. She felt as if she always fell short from everyone around her. She could study for days for a test but still score decently as compared to others who study the night before and still do better than her.

Maybe it was just her method of studying that was not suited for her, but to her - it felt like she just had something lacking in every aspect of her life.

⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉

Just like everything else in life, there are always two ends of the spectrum. In this case, Park Jisung was everything but decent. From his looks to the way he dances so flawlessly and smoothly, everything about him was exceptional.

No one is perfect, but he sure comes close to being perfect. You were envious of him. He had the reputation that everyone wanted, it felt like he had his entire life already laid out in front of him. It was easy to tell where he was headed towards, whether or not he would be successful in life. Everything just felt easy for him, while you had to constantly suffer from the pessimistic thoughts of not being able to make it far in life - ending up with a job that you absolutely hate to do.

From Jisung’s perspective though, it would be a lie if he said that his life was not easy. It did feel like he could have everything and anything he wanted, he didn’t feel like a complete failure. But that was exactly what kept him up at night - the fear of failing.

He constantly worked to make himself seem like a strong person, someone who was so accomplished and had everything set out in life. And he is successful at doing just that, in accomplishing everything he puts his mind to, everything except for you.

⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉

“Okay class, settle down, I will be giving back your test papers that you did two weeks ago,” the teacher’s voice roared through the class. “I would like to congratulate Park Jisung on getting full marks….again.” A round of applause sounded throughout the class as he smiled shyly at the attention as he went up to take his paper. His eyes skimmed the class and towards the girl in the corner who was just staring out of the window into space.

Unknowingly, the corners of his lip tilted down slightly and a slight wave of sadness washed through him.

As people walked to the front one by one to collect their papers, his eyes couldn’t help but drift towards you. When it reached your turn, you took the paper in anticipation but when you saw the score on the front page, your heart sank.

64%. That was the usual grade that you got and yet you still couldn’t help but feel disappointed over and over again. Your classmates were all squealing at their scores while you sat back at your seat silently. Another test that you studied hard for and yet still didn’t improve nor get a score that you wanted.

“For those who did well, good job. For those who didn’t do as well, go home and reflect, and do better next time. You are all dismissed.”

⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉

You sighed in defeat, looking through your mistakes as you stayed at your seat while everyone else in class ran out of the door. Your heart felt heavy, as you started to grip the paper progressively harder the more you stare at it.

Once it was only you left in class, it was as if it was the trigger as the tears started rolling down your face. One came after another until you were full-on sobbing. The pressure just felt too much for you, and the disappointment that came with it just further aggravated the emotions that you felt.

Your future felt bleak. How can you pursue something if you weren’t good at anything?

In this vulnerable moment, a boy happened to rush into the classroom. Seemingly in a rush to grab something but got alarmed when he saw the teary-eyed girl sitting in the corner. Jisung stopped in his tracks, grimacing when the door slammed behind him causing you to jump in surprise.

You didn’t expect anyone to come in, especially him.

You vigorously jumped into action, wiping away your tears and calming yourself down. Although it didn’t exactly work, you continued to hiccup and looked away from the boy who looked like a deer caught in headlights.

He let out an awkward cough. “Um..sorry…I forgot to grab something…” he trailed off. You simply nodded in response, still facing away from him, not wanting him to see you in this state. Jisung hesitated before asking “are you okay?”

“Yes,” you softly replied, your voice slightly choked up from the lump in your throat. “I’m fine.”

The boy walked to his desk to take his phone before walking back towards the door but paused midway. In his head he knew that maybe he should just leave her alone to sort out her feelings but he couldn’t simply shake away the tightening of his chest with every sob that she quietly let out in the midst of the silent classroom.

With a goal in mind, he turned back around and quietly took a seat opposite her. His palms started sweating as his brain spun sentences on what to say or do. After a few wordless moments, he finally spoke up. “Do you want to talk about it?” He questioned softly, not wanting to scare the girl. “Uh or if you’re uncomfortable I can actually leave…maybe i’m just being intrusive, if so i’m sorry,” he started rambling.

You looked up, slightly surprised at how close he was to you. “No, it’s okay. I’m not uncomfortable, I'm just upset about my test that’s all,” you said, mumbling the last part.

“64% is pretty good. Why are you sad? Cheer up okay, there is always a next time!” Jisung smiled trying to be optimistic but stopping when he watched the girl scoff.

“You can say that because you got full marks.”

“Huh what, no, of course not. I’m just saying it is pretty good considering half the class failed.”

You sighed, shoving your test paper in your bag before zipping it up. “It’s just a decent score, there is nothing good about it,” You muttered. “Nevermind, you can go, I’ll be fine. You’re right, it is just another test I did decently in. Whatever. I’ll just leave after I look better, you can go though, thanks for checking in on me.”

You looked back out the window, resting your chin on your palm, expecting him to leave. However, instead, Jisung grabbed a pen from your pencil case and took a post-it paper that he kept under his table before scribbling on it. He left it on the corner of your table before quietly turning around to leave.

“Just text me if you ever need help in anything or uh just need someone to talk to okay?” He said before closing the door behind him.

You looked at the post-it after the door closed with a thud. Your heart warmed reading it, your lips stretching into a small smile. Hope bloomed in your chest, maybe everything will be okay.

You are never just decent to me.

You did well, I’m proud of you :)

It’ll get better.

Here is my number if you ever need it

061-321-3928

— Jisung.

[repo-net]

EO5-Styled intros for the stratums from EO1 and EO2!

I finished playing EO5 a while back, and one of the things I really liked about the game were the short narrated sequences that played when you reached a stratum for the first time. The voice actress kills the role, and just the music slowly kicking in as she introduces just what you're about to get yourself into - aaahh, it's so good.

To help practice a bit of my description writing when it comes to locations and short tidbits of lore, I decided to try my hand at doing my own renditions of these sequences for the EO1 and 2 stratums! Hopefully they look alright, eheh.

Spoilers under the cut!

EO1

Every adventurer has a dream: whether it be for glory, for riches, for knowledge, or for purpose. Without fail, all of them flock to this mighty tree.

Regardless of the purity in their heart, the first step into these vast greenlands is filled with ambition.

That very same ambition is what has led to the end of so many. And yet for you, it may just be the start…

The legendary story born from hope blossomed here.

The first stratum, Emerald Grove

Descending down the stairs, a new layer of the labyrinth welcomes you.

Darker than the last, the tropical wilderness buzzes your ear with the sounds of trickling water, and cries of a new set of beasts.

Those who basked in their success of survival of the basics; learned far too late…

… That here, nature reigns supreme.

The second stratum, Primitive Jungle

Conquering the lord of the jungle, a mesmerizing sight shines against your eyes.

A moist scent wafting in the air, with a cobalt hue that makes one forget you’re still within a forest.

A queen of the insects lies in wait here, and below even her grasp is a mystery only a handful have seen, yet one question continues to prod.

Has that secret been forgotten by age, or has it grown into something more?

The third stratum, Azure Rainforest

Layer after layer of blooming life, comes to a harsh, arid halt upon this new arrival.

These wastelands filled with long stretches of beige and grains scraping against skin, is the very home of an ancient race.

They speak of a century-old pact, fully ready to defend their turf. To hide what’s below, and to see what’s below.

Wills even in the face of death are about to be tested here.

The fourth stratum, Sandy Barrens

Only the cursed king on his throne in the abyss remembers that golden age.

A world overwhelmed by verdure and promises of revival. A time and tragedy that only one man can tell the true story of.

Structures and mechanisms that you have never seen the likes of, with memories so distant, but so near all the same.

The mysteries that have been kept under for a millenia, it is your destiny to unravel them and see for your own - the secrets of Yggdrasil.

The fifth stratum, Lost Shinjuku

Below even the origin of creation is a place past the naked eye. 

A system of organs solely out of the blood dripping from stratas above, drenching the pulsing and veiny walls with a sickening red.

Screams and wails of agony from a creature tortured by its purpose, engulfing itself in this cavern to take its revenge on trespassers that were never meant to reach here.

For descending to the roots of this labyrinth, its very core will stop at nothing to engrave you into it.

The sixth stratum, Claret Hollows

EO2

The second saga of a legend already born, or the first for the arisal of new ones.

Whoever the author may be, this story begins all the same, with an invitation from a new land to ascend to heights yet to be reached.

These grassy woods that surround the bottom of the mighty tree…

Mark the intro for an adventure unlike any before.

The first stratum, Ancient Forest

Pushing through the daunting beginning trials, an opening paves way into a new flavor of woods.

These orange lands filled with prickly tails and segwaying paths; they provoke the explorers with a dilemma.

Will you grit your teeth through thorns for instant gratification, or will you dance with the roars of beasts seemingly undentable?

Be decisive, lest you go a route that leads to a pitiful end.

The second stratum, Auburn Thicket

Biting through fragile flesh, as soon as getting past the heat of the thicket.

Grazing against the adventurers, a stinging test from the polar opposite on the journey up north.

This icy surface, disrupting the pursuit towards the top, has spelled the end of many tales thought to be on the road of destiny.

Pass by these freezing storms, and at the peak awaits a tragedy long foretold; yet this is only one of his many, many failings.

The third stratum, Frozen Grounds

Lagaard knew not what was past those snowy acres, until they arrived; and now - they continue to soar.

Like the monsters and curious souls that reside here, these pink, rosy blossoms mark the start of heights never been reached.

Through echoes heard upward, each footstep through this cherry territory serenades the adventurers.

Keep on climbing, recite a long lost grail, and you’ll be one step closer to the heavens. But tread carefully - the war ahead may overwhelm even those chosen by fate.

The fourth stratum, Petal Bridge

The world was once overtaken by Earth itself. Those fortunate enough, built a stronghold to survive.

Centuries passed. And eventually, not even the stronghold could hold its strength. 

The one constant… was him. 

Renewing it to his liking, a phenomenal palace not even fairy tales could mold. A castle glistening with gold, proudly idling above the skies where no one could reach him. No matter how long it takes. No matter how many will be lost.

Despite all the years, he’s always kept one promise burned into his mind.

“Humanity must survive.”

The fifth stratum, Heavenly Keep

Eternity - a word no mortal could understand the true weight of. 

An eternity of mistakes. An eternity of lives lost from obsession. 

An eternity of abominations created by his hand. Yet not one was worse than his first.

Over his created heaven, was a forest so eden, so seemingly tranquil; yet nothing was more dangerous. It’s a sanctuary with just a singular purpose.

A forsaken prison, to house his darkest criminal.

The sixth stratum, Forbidden Wood

[ametrinearrows]

Rekindling Hearts

Jeff found himself gazing at YN from a distance backstage, lost in memories of their time together. His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Lita, a fellow WWE superstar and YN's good friend. Lita, with her perceptive nature, sensed the longing in Jeff's eyes. 

Approaching Jeff with a knowing smile, Lita spoke softly, "You still care about her, don't you?" 

Jeff's heart skipped a beat as he looked at Lita, surprised by her insight. "What do you mean?" he asked cautiously. 

Lita chuckled, her eyes filled with understanding. "I can tell, Jeff. Just like I can tell that YN still feels the same way about you." 

Jeff's brows furrowed in confusion. "How can you be so sure?" 

"Loving someone leaves a mark on your heart that time can't erase," Lita explained. "YN's eyes light up when she talks about you. She might not admit it, but I've seen it." 

Jeff's mind raced as he absorbed Lita's words. He had never stopped caring for YN, and now, knowing that the feelings might be mutual, his heart began to race with a mixture of hope and uncertainty. 

As the days went by, Jeff and YN found themselves sharing moments backstage. A simple smile here, a fleeting glance there – small gestures that carried the weight of their shared history. They began to reminisce about the times when their love was the center of their worlds, before the adrenaline of the ring took over. 

One evening, as the sun set behind the arena, Jeff mustered the courage to confront YN. "Can we talk?" he asked, his voice a mix of nerves and longing. 

YN looked at him, her eyes softening. "Sure, Jeff." 

They found a quiet corner away from the bustling backstage area, and Jeff took a deep breath. "Lita told me something," he began, his gaze locked on YN's. 

YN raised an eyebrow curiously. "Oh? And what's that?" 

"She told me that you might still have feelings for me," Jeff admitted, his vulnerability on display. 

YN's cheeks flushed slightly, but she didn't shy away from his gaze. "And what do you think?" 

Jeff took a step closer, his heart pounding. "I think... I still care about you too. More than I ever realized." 

Tears shimmered in YN's eyes as she reached out to touch his hand. "Jeff, our love might have taken a backseat to our careers, but it never truly went away." 

As they held each other's gaze, the weight of their shared history and unspoken emotions hung in the air. The wrestling arena around them seemed to fade away, leaving just the two of them in that tender moment.  

Later that night the arena was buzzing with anticipation as YN YLN stepped into the ring to face off against Stacy Keibler. The crowd roared with excitement, the energy palpable in the air. YN was determined to prove herself not just as a former love interest of Jeff Hardy, but as a formidable wrestler in her own right. 

As the match began, YN and Stacy locked up, showcasing their agility and strength. YN's determination was evident in her every move, her eyes locked onto her opponent. The match swung back and forth, each woman displaying her unique skills and signature moves. 

At ringside, Test stood with a calculating expression, his gaze fixed on the action in the ring. YN's dominance was becoming increasingly clear, as she managed to counter Stacy's moves with precision and grace. The crowd's cheers grew louder with every successful maneuver she executed. 

However, as YN gained the upper hand, Test's patience seemed to wear thin. He could hardly believe that YN was outclassing Stacy so thoroughly. Unbeknownst to the referee, Test seized an opportunity when YN had Stacy in a submission hold. He reached over the ropes and pulled YN off of Stacy, causing the crowd to erupt in boos and jeers. 

YN was visibly shocked and frustrated by this interference. She glared at Test, her expression a mix of anger and disbelief. The referee began to admonish Test, but the damage had been done. Stacy took advantage of the distraction, quickly recovering and launching herself at YN. 

Just as Stacy was about to capitalize on the situation, a familiar theme song echoed throughout the arena. The crowd's cheers turned into a deafening roar as Jeff Hardy sprinted down the ramp, his eyes locked on Test. Jeff's face was a mix of determination and fury, fueled by the sight of Test interfering in YN's match. 

Test turned his attention away from the ring just in time to see Jeff's furious onslaught. Jeff's fists were a blur as he pummeled Test, the impact of each blow sending a clear message: interfering in YN's match was not going to go unpunished. 

Meanwhile, YN had recovered from the shock of Test's interference and was back on her feet. With a renewed fire in her eyes, she turned her focus back to Stacy. YN unleashed a flurry of powerful moves, her determination evident in every strike and grapple. The crowd rallied behind her, their cheers fueling her energy. 

Back at ringside, Jeff's rage had not subsided. He continued to rain down blows on Test, his anger and protectiveness over YN propelling his actions. The chaos at ringside and the intensity in the ring created a whirlwind of excitement that had the entire arena on its feet. 

With Jeff's help, YN managed to regain control of the match. She executed her signature move, the with impeccable precision. The impact resonated through the ring as she covered Stacy for the pinfall. The referee's hand slapped the mat three times, signaling YN's victory. 

 The arena erupted in cheers as YN's hand was raised in triumph. She shared a triumphant smile with Jeff, their unspoken connection stronger than ever. As they stood side by side, the message was clear: their bond, forged through love and shared passion, was unbreakable. 

 In the aftermath of the match, Test retreated up the ramp, nursing his wounds, while YN and Jeff shared a celebratory embrace in the ring. The WWE Universe had witnessed not only an exhilarating match, but a powerful display of loyalty, love, and the resilience of two individuals who had found their way back to each other, both in the ring and in their hearts. 

As the adrenaline from the intense match began to subside, YN and Jeff found themselves catching their breath in the middle of the ring. The deafening cheers of the WWE Universe surrounded them, a testament to the electrifying spectacle they had just delivered. 

YN turned to Jeff, a grateful smile on her face. "Jeff, I can't thank you enough for coming out there and having my back. That was incredible." 

Jeff grinned back at her, his eyes shining with a mixture of pride and affection. "Hey, anything for you, YNN. We've always had each other's backs, right?" 

YN nodded, her heart racing for more reasons than just the match. "Yeah, we have." 

There was a brief pause, a moment charged with unspoken emotions. Then, Jeff took a step closer to YN, his voice gentle. "You know, YNN, it's been a while since we've spent time together outside of the ring." 

YN's heart skipped a beat, her curiosity piqued. "What are you suggesting, Jeff?" 

A mischievous glint danced in Jeff's eyes as he took a deep breath. "Well, how about we break tradition and go out on a date? Just like old times?" 

YN felt her cheeks flush with surprise and excitement. Jeff was right – it had been years since they had shared a moment outside the ring. And the idea of spending time with him, without the pressures of the WWE, was incredibly appealing. 

A smile tugged at the corners of YN's lips. "I think that's a fantastic idea, Jeff." 

Jeff's grin widened, and he took a step even closer. "Great. How about tomorrow night? I know this cozy little restaurant that's perfect for catching up." 

YN's heart raced as she met Jeff's gaze, her answer clear in her eyes. "Tomorrow night sounds perfect." 

The tension between them was palpable, a mix of nostalgia, attraction, and a renewed connection. And in that moment, neither of them could deny the feelings that had been simmering beneath the surface for so long. 

Without hesitation, Jeff leaned in, his lips brushing softly against YN's. The kiss was tender, a sweet blend of familiarity and newfound emotion. It felt like a promise, a confirmation of the sparks that had never truly faded between them. 

When they finally pulled away, YN's heart was racing, her cheeks flushed. Jeff smiled at her, his thumb brushing gently against her cheek. "I can't wait for tomorrow night, YNN." 

"Me neither," she replied, her voice soft but filled with anticipation. 

As they made their way out of the ring, hand in hand, the cheers of the WWE Universe followed them. When they disappeared into the backstage area, their intertwined fingers spoke volumes about the connection they shared. The wrestling world was full of drama and intensity, but in that moment, all that mattered was the promise of a new beginning – a chance for Jeff and YN to explore the love that had never truly faded, even after all these years. 

[ddarker-dreams]

Aftertaste.

Yan Diluc x F!Reader x Yan Kaeya.

Warnings: Yandere themes, unhealthy relationships, alcohol, implied drugging.  Word count: 4.5k. 

CHAPTER I OF III // The Dinner. 

Some places lose their splendor as you age; when the rose-tinted glasses of childhood ultimately succumb to reality.

Nostalgia tricks you into believing the past is better than it ever was. There’s no harm in willingly falling for these lapses in truth, as far as you were concerned. So what if a snack you swore by in your youth did little for your developed taste buds, or a book you strained your eyes by flickering candlelight barely held your attention any longer? Those memories still had a special place in your heart regardless of your inability to recreate them.

While this could apply to many aspects of your younger years, there was an outlier that stood the test of time.

That outlier being Dawn Winery.

It was a breathtaking sight then and a breathtaking sight now. A paradise tucked away in the nook of Mondstadt, concealed by trees that always wore autumn’s colors. Stubby legs used to carry you through the foliage, past the watchful gaze of the Anemo Archon’s statue, and by the windwheel asters that whistled in the breeze. Workers in the fields would call out to you by name, welcoming you in kind. The very first few times you arrived, they’d tell you where you might find the two young masters, but they quickly learned there was no need. You were always curious to see if it’d be a head of fiery red or icy blue that’d rush to greet you first.

Smiling softly to yourself, you walk the same path that you would then, past the Dawn Winery sign that welcomes its guests.

It’s evening, so most of the workers have settled into the nearby cottages after a hard day’s work. Candlelight from their window sills bathes the endless sea of grapevines in a soft glow, rivaled only by the luminescence of crystal flies dancing in the air. Smoke wafts from their chimneys, the scent of firewood and the tartness of grapes intermingle to form a perfect blend. It smells familiar.

It smells like home.

The dirt path beneath your feet gives way to cobblestone, kept up to order so that no moss or weeds may grow between the cracks. There’s light inside, but little chatter, a far cry from when Master Crepus would welcome any excuse to host a wide array of events. In those days, it was said that laughter and the popping of corks could be heard from miles away.

You always found this to be an exaggeration born from intrigue in Mondstadt’s most noteworthy nobles, but there were kernels of truth in the claim. It wasn’t uncommon for you to run into people from all corners of Teyvat who came to enjoy Dawn Winery’s luxuries. Businessmen from Liyue, Shogunate officials from Inazuma, scholars from Sumeru… it was an undeniable hub for activity. Now, with Master Diluc at the helm, it’s far quieter. Still, as if stuck in a permanent state of inertia. A once roaring stream that no longer sees ripples across the water.

Your knock on the wooden door. From muscle memory alone, you’re tempted to fall into the peculiar rhythm of a knock the three of you devised. The tempo remains as fresh in your memory as ever. One knock, a pause, then two following in quick succession. This was your little secret that no one else outside your circle was privy to.

The face that greets you belongs to Adelinde.

“Welcome back, Miss [First],” she greets, both her tone and posture professional. Then, a slight crack in the façade reveals the mirth in her eyes. “It is good to see you again. Please, do come in. Master Diluc has been eagerly awaiting your arrival.”

You fight the urge to laugh at the picture in your head such a comment paints. Diluc Ragnvindr, Mondstadt’s wine tycoon and name of world renown, impatiently checking the time so it may move faster and gazing longingly toward the horizon for you? Flattering as the sentiment is, you sincerely doubt its credibility. It would appear Adelinde’s strange sense of humor hasn’t changed.

You’re quick to learn that very little has changed regarding the manor’s interior as well. The warm ambiance from the chandeliers overhead, towering walls of mahogany, and sprawling red carpets extending further than the circumference of your entire apartment. Classiness all but emanates from every visible surface. Although you know the manor’s layout by heart, Adelinde still guides you to the dining room, making occasional small talk along the way. Falling into conversation with her comes as natural as breathing.

“So, no reservations about being entirely on your own in a new place then?” Adelinde questions as you both turn a corner.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous,” you reply. She shoots you a look of concern, so you quickly follow this up by adding, “It’s nothing I can’t handle, though! So long as I have the stars above to serve as my guide, I’m confident I can get through anything.”

“Anything, huh…?” She trails off with a hum. You finally arrive at the doors separating this hall from the opulent dining room. “I sure hope so.”

Before you get the chance to ask her what she means by that, she thrusts open the doors, then announces your arrival as if you were the esteemed guest of honor at a banquet. In a way, you suppose you were. It just felt bizarre to go through so many formalities in the same room you used to sneak your and Kaeya’s vegetables onto an unsuspecting Diluc’s plate. Much has changed since those idyllic days. The most extreme example is the one who currently stands from his position at the head of the table upon your arrival.

It’s been some time since you’ve seen him in person. Following the untimely passing of Master Crepus, Diluc became a wandering specter, intangible and impossible to pin down. You’d kept up a regular correspondence in the form of letters, but even that was spaced out through long stretches of time. You were never given a definitive answer about what exactly it is he does during his travels. The topic never seemed to interest him nearly as much as the going-ons in your life, which you insisted to be perfectly mundane compared to his global trotting.

Alas, upon hearing about the next upcoming chapter in your life, he returned home so he could see you off himself. He said you deserve nothing less.

Diluc’s physiognomy isn’t as carefree as it was in his youth, but there’s still a certain playfulness to him that most fail to pick up on. Many would frequently come and ask how to get in his good graces, for a friendship with Diluc practically guaranteed success with business across the board. From afar, he could come off as intimidating, largely owing to his near-constant frown even amidst the most jubilant atmosphere. Your advice was always the same. Treat him like you would any other and hold Mondstadt’s best interest at heart. He is less grave than most people give him credit for.

Case in point: when Adelinde is dismissed, you give him an unnecessarily deep curtsy while proclaiming, “Good evening, greatly revered Master Diluc. How kind of you to carve out time in your schedule for a lowborn peasant such as I.”

You can practically hear his eyes rolling, but still, he entertains you, though with significantly less theatrics. “It’s a necessary sacrifice, I’m afraid. How else can I maintain appearances?”

When your eyes finally meet, a chorus of memories sounds in your mind. From long summer days playing hide and seek in the vineyard to winters spent curled up by the hearth drinking apple cider. As always, the lull of nostalgia is tempting to submerge yourself and remain trapped in. You never know if you should mourn what was lost or thank the Archons above for what remains. It’s this surge of sentimentality that encourages you to wrap your arms around Diluc, who, despite knowing he should expect the unexpected in your presence, is taken aback.

He’s as warm as one might expect.

He grunts in surprise, the force behind your embrace almost enough to knock him back. After ensuring you’re secure, he reciprocates the gesture, his hands hesitantly landing on your lower back before ghosting upward. The fabric of his dark coat is surprisingly soft against your cheek. He smells of fine leather and firewood. You hear his breath hitch, presumably from how unused he is to affection. He’s been that way. He’d never initiate physical contact yet happily reciprocated when you did.

“I’ve missed you, Diluc,” you admit after pulling back. He coughs into his hand. “It’s been far too long. Don’t get me wrong, your penmanship is lovely, but nothing beats having you in the flesh.”

His oh-so-famous frown makes an appearance. “You’re right, I’m sorry. I do plan to be around more often, since it’s almost harvest season—”

Diluc cuts himself off prematurely upon noticing how your shoulders droop. He parts his lips as if thinking to correct his mistake, preparing to verbally acknowledge the reality that you’re leaving, but no sound comes out. It would seem he met his match. Diluc, who could gracefully deflect any insult from business competitors acting in bad faith, was rendered speechless by what wasn’t even a surprise. You’d broken the news to him weeks in advance — it’s the very reason he’s hosting this send-off dinner in the first place.

For after many years of trying and receiving complete silence in response, the Sumeru Akademiya has finally accepted you into their ranks. Come tomorrow morning, you’re officially heading out to join the Rtawahist Darshan. The fulfillment of a lifelong dream is surreal in the best and worst of ways.

You’ll be leaving home — leaving your two dearest lifelong friends — but you’ll be gaining plenty as well.

“I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” A new voice pipes up from behind, low and mischievous.

Immediately, you turn on your heel, your face lighting up at the sight of a familiar Cavalry Captain. You waste no time striding over to greet him; Diluc is almost unable to detach himself from your person fast enough to prevent you from tripping. Kaeya Alberich gives you his winning smile, his arms already wide and ready to accept you, which he does with great enthusiasm. Before you realize it, you’re hoisted off the ground. He spins you around as if you were weightless. Right as you think he’ll put you back down, his grin takes a malicious edge, and you’re sent gliding through the air again.

“Keep it up and I’ll get sick, Kaeya,” you manage to get out in between your fits of laughter.

“I’m calling your bluff,” he replies without hesitation. “Your constitution is stronger than that.”

Playfully aghast, you reply, “Is that a risk worth taking?”

“There’s nothing I love more than a good gamble. Well, almost nothing.”

Your banter is cut short by the sound of Diluc rather loudly clearing his throat. At this disruption, Kaeya offers clemency, helping you back down and lending his shoulder until you’re steady again. Unlike Diluc, Kaeya wears notable cologne. It has woody notes but is primarily spicy at its base. Since you happen across Kaeya in Mondstadt often, you’re familiar with his scent, to the point you can immediately pick up on an unusual underlying aroma. You’re unable to place what it might be. However, it reminds you of the laboratory your hermit-like friend Sucrose spent all her time in.

“You’re late,” Diluc points out in an unimpressed monotone.

“Fashionably late, I believe the term is,” Kaeya retaliates, still holding you steady while you regain your balance. “Believe it or not, I actually have a good excuse. There were some matters on your end that I got stuck cleaning up. Quite the time sink. Trust me, I wouldn’t be late for such an important occasion as this if it was up to me.”

“Oh? Are you actually collaborating with the Knights on something, Diluc?” You inquire, the notion stupefying considering their turbulent history. The aforementioned male crosses his arms over his chest and then gives Kaeya a near-scathing look. You’re not the one on the receiving end of his ire, and still, the hairs on the back of your neck stand from the brewing tension.

“… No. Let’s leave it at that, Kaeya.”

Kaeya puts his hands up in defense, but by the wicked smirk on his lips, you get the sense he’ll fan the flames rather than extinguish them.

“Duly noted, Master Diluc. Well then! Dinner awaits, does it not? Ah, and what a spread it will be. I’m glad I wasn’t held up for too long. Let’s dig in before Adelinde learns we allowed her feast to get cold.”

Kaeya has always been one to let matters go like water off a duck’s back, but that rarely applied when Diluc was thrown in the mix. The two seemingly lived for discreetly and not so discreetly flinging insults at every opportunity. That’s why you can hardly believe your eyes at how quick Kaeya is to concede, dropping the subject instead of prolonging it painfully. Could it be that they want to be on their best behavior for your farewell dinner? You already knew you were asking a lot from them both, especially Diluc. The letter he sent confirming his acceptance of Kaeya’s attendance almost had palpable dark energy to it. Never would you have braved asking this of them if not for the star’s consultation, scrying for hours on end.

Notcua and Pavo Ocellus.

You examined their constellations with great care, along with your own — Cygnus. For as far back as you could remember, the three were interwoven closer than the threads of a tapestry. While light from the stars is far apart regardless of how close they appear, their constellations always illuminate yours, affecting your readings. This bizarre phenomenon was the main catalyst that inspired you to pursue astrology beyond a hobby. Usually, you could never get a clear reading on Notcua and Pavo Ocellus. However, the stars promised that the two would be amiable the night before you were to depart. It was hazy, yet you wanted to place your trust in it.

And sure enough, they both accepted your request to share your final dinner in Mondstadt together without much fuss.

The three of you sit and the first course is served.

For the most part, you and Kaeya do the talking. He speaks about strange sightings of a massive beast in the sky that has put the Knights on high alert, then how he caught Ellin training with a bucket on her head ‘in case she must ever fight in the dark.’ Meanwhile, you mention the thoughtful gifts you’ve received in the past week. A bomb from Klee ‘to help in your studies’, herbs for the inevitable headaches from Lisa, fine writing implements whose ink flowed on paper like water from Jean. Amber also asked for you to give a little handmade baron bunny to Collei upon passing through the Avidya Forest. Diluc remains notably silent while you speak, but Kaeya is quick to pitch in when given the chance.

“Without your divinations, it’s only a matter of time before Klee burns the Knights’ Headquarters down,” Kaeya laments, accentuating the words with a sigh. “The Grandmaster will return from his expedition to find nothing but rubble and ash. I suppose you wouldn’t mind that, would you, Master Diluc?”

You both turn your head in his direction upon his lack of response.

Earlier, you were so inundated with your conversation that you hadn’t noticed he’d barely touched the food on his plate. You can’t imagine the meal wasn’t to his liking, both you and Kaeya utterly devoured it. Frowning, you hope that you didn’t upset him by speaking about leaving so haphazardly. There was an almost therapeutic quality to pretending it won’t bring any of you pain, a charade that the Cavalry Captain freely went along with. Diluc was never as cavalier about problems as the two of you were. He brooded over issues, Kaeya pretended like they were never there, and you threw yourself into fixing the unfixable. That’s how it’s always been.

“... Tell me, [First],” Diluc’s stare feels like it could pierce right through you. “Are you sure this is what you want? To leave Mondstadt, I mean?”

To leave us, remains unspoken. To leave me.

“Diluc, I doubt now is hardly the best time to—”

“Let her answer,” Diluc interrupts Kaeya, who presses his lips in a thin line. “I want to hear what she has to say.”

Kaeya leans back into his chair, smiles weakly at your worried glance, and motions for you to go on with his hand. Your eyes dart between them and the sudden grim twist to their expressions. Kaeya does a better job at hiding it, but not by much, you know him well enough to see through the various masks he prepares for every possible situation. You suppose such a question was inevitable. It cuts as deep as a knife, twisting and churning your insides enough to almost make good on your mention of getting sick earlier.

The spotlight is yours and you have a captive audience.

“I’ve asked myself the same thing ever since I received the acceptance letter,” your voice comes out stronger than you expected. You take a deep breath to keep it that way. “Mondstadt is my home. You guys… are my home. I used to be sad whenever my mom and dad told me they were going off on a new adventure, but after I met you guys, I learned that meant I’d get to go on an adventure of my own. Really, I learned a lot from you both.”

You bunch up the material of your skirt on your lap. “For the longest time, I didn’t understand why the Akademiya didn’t even bother to send a rejection letter after I sent in all those applications. It’s discouraging to know you aren’t good enough, but it’s even worse when you don’t know why. I’d often consider just giving up. But then I’d remember… I’d remember the two of you.”

“There I’d be, throwing a pity party for myself, when you’d both weathered storms I could barely fathom. And no matter what happened, you managed to keep going,” you give a derisive chuckle. “So I’d try again. And again. And again. Because as much as I love my home, I love to learn, and the stars in Sumeru are bound to look different from how they appear here.”

No one speaks for a while following that.

The pendulum of the grandfather clock swings back and forth while you gnaw on your lower lip, refusing to let the waterworks flow. You promised yourself that you wouldn’t cry, not in front of them, that’s the last thing you wanted to be remembered by before you left. It would bring the mood down to a level so low, that not even the silver-tongued Cavalry Captain could fix it.

Diluc loosens the collar around his neck, a nervous tic. “I apologize — I didn’t mean to call your resolve into question.”

“Ah, no, not at all,” you scramble to smooth over any possible tensions, your hands flailing around, “I should be the one saying sorry, I, um, didn’t mean to go off on such a tangent there.”

You follow this up with an awkward laugh that soon dies off in your throat.

Kaeya chimes in next. “There’s no need to apologize. Talking beats sitting with your mouth shut and looking all distant and brooding.”

You cover your mouth to hide the chortle Kaeya’s not-so-subtle dig at Diluc earns. A few tears manage to slip past your defenses, though before they can slide down the groove of your cheek, Kaeya pats it dry with a handkerchief. Your eyes widen as he holds your chin steady with one hand and does away with your tears using the other. The tenderness might have made you cry harder if not for how taken aback you were.

“My dense brother does have a nasty habit of making you cry, doesn’t he?” Kaeya hums. “Let me try to translate his words using a bit more tact. The world as we know it is becoming a scarier place and Sumeru is so far away. There’s the Withering, general tensions between those who live in the desert and those who don’t, and a whole bunch of other things I’m sworn to keep confidential. I’m not trying to say you can’t take care of yourself — you most certainly can — it’s just something to consider.”

Diluc nods his head, seemingly approving of Kaeya’s take on the issue.

“I understand your concern, but really, try not to worry yourself gray on my account. I made thorough preparations for tomorrow’s trip with the caravan. I want to do this. I know I can do this.”  

“Did you catch that, Master Diluc?” Kaeya relinquishes his hold on you and tucks his handkerchief away. “[First]’s given us her final answer. We have to respect that.”

“I’m aware.”

You almost let out a sigh of relief, presuming the topic will be dropped. You’ve done plenty of worrying about both of them, so you understand the sentiment; the pressure was getting to be overwhelming. You expected some overprotectiveness from Diluc, just not from Kaeya. He’d been nothing but supportive ever since you told him you were accepted in person. The sudden shift in his position almost gives you whiplash.

A few years ago, you may have been tempted to placate them by agreeing to stay. You feel like you’d be betraying yourself if you caved now. It’s for this reason that you stand firm, unwilling to give ground where you shouldn’t have to.

Kaeya clasps his hands together, breaking you from your reverie. “Alright, enough of that. I’m dying to break into that bottle of wine there. Will you do the honors, Master Diluc?”

At Kaeya’s prompting, Diluc turns his attention to said bottle. It has remained untouched, acting almost as the centerpiece of the table. He pops it open without further delay.

The rich aroma of Dawn Winery’s infamous Dandelion Wine soon wafts through the air. Diluc pours a generous helping into your crystal glass, then repeats the motion for Kaeya, who he has seemingly lost interest in looking at. Unsurprisingly, he pours none for himself. He’s never been interested in alcohol like his brother is. After letting it breathe for a few minutes, you take a sip, allowing your tongue to savor the luxurious brew. Sweet and refreshing.

“Don’t tell me that’s all you’re having,” Kaeya raises an eyebrow when you place it back down immediately following your first sip. “What kind of Mondstadt sendoff would this be if your glass remains full? It’s shameful, really.”

You roll your eyes and give his shoulder a playful punch. “Unlike you, Cavalry Captain, I can’t afford to wake up with a hangover tomorrow. I’m going easy on the alcohol tonight.”

“I’ll have you know that there’s going to be plenty for me to do in the next few days,” Kaeya retaliates, picking the glass up and putting it into your hands. “Allow me to let you in on a secret. Master Diluc’s too embarrassed to admit it, but he actually brewed this batch himself, start to finish. Just for you.”

“Kaeya…” Diluc trails off, his voice taking a threatening edge. You can hear the leather of his gloves crease from how he tightens his hands into fists.

“Really? You made this, Diluc?” You blink, turning your attention to the head of the table, who suddenly struggles to maintain eye contact. It’s a kind gesture, yet you don’t understand why Kaeya revealing that would make Diluc so sheepish. You gaze into the clear, undulating liquid, considering the great efforts necessary for it to reach this final state. Diluc’s busy enough as is, the thought he dedicated the time to crafting your last perfect taste of home touches your heart.

“I did,” he confirms after a moment’s pause. “I hope the flavor is to your liking. Please, have your fill. It would mean a lot to me.”

Well, when he puts it like that…

… You suppose one glass couldn’t hurt.

Kaeya picks up where the previous conversation left off.

No matter what it is he’s doing, there’s a certain flair to his body language that makes him enchanting to watch. Whether it be his animated hand gestures, how he switches between intonations depending on the subject, or his complete mastery over storytelling. You’re convinced Kaeya could’ve been a bard had he chosen not to join the Knights. Your muscles and heart rate relax as you absorb the tale Kaeya spins, stress evaporating from your weary mind. Diluc even tosses in a few remarks of his own when it’s appropriate to do so.

This is nice, you muse, attempting to blink away the abrupt heaviness of your eyelids. Everyone is getting along so well.

You take another sip.

“... That’s when I said… and then he chose not to come! Really, it’s like…”

And another.

“... Couldn’t have asked for worse timing…”

And another after that.

“... Maybe you should’ve…”

You rub your eyes with the back of your hand. It’s strange. Kaeya is sitting in the chair beside you, yet for some reason, his words sound like they’re coming from rooms away. Slowly, you turn your head to face Diluc. It feels light. You feel light. He’s staring at you, despite the fact it’s Kaeya who is speaking, his eyes never leaving yours for a second. His lips part. You think you see him mouth your name, though you can’t be certain. Every sound reverberating throughout the room blends together like watercolor on a canvas. Unidentifiable and cloudy.

You place your clammy hands on the wooden table and force yourself to stand.

Something clatters behind you, you think it might be your chair. Your breathing is so slow and shallow. Why can’t you stand right? Why aren’t your legs working as they should? You want to ask. Both Kaeya and Diluc are next to you now, one of them has placed their fingers on your neck. They’re talking to each other in hushed whispers. You’re leaning on someone — you can’t tell who — but at least you needn’t concern yourself with falling over. The ringing in your ears is growing louder. Was it always doing that? Why did it have to sound so shrill?

You don’t want to be here.

Diluc’s face is so close to yours, his eyebrows furrowing, lips downturned. He strokes the side of your face with his knuckles. You see it; you don’t feel it. You feel nothing. He’s saying something again, not to you this time, but to whoever’s holding you from behind.

“Taking… long…!”

“It isn’t… didn’t have enough…”

You feel like you’re experiencing everything from underwater. Floating, floating, endlessly floating. To where, you couldn’t possibly know. Maybe it’s for the best you don’t. As your consciousness fades, going someplace far away, one last thought prevails.

You cannot tell if you’re too hot, or too cold.

[edenesth]

Undying Bonds (Part 14)

Pairing: Hongjoong x fem!reader, Seonghwa x fem!reader

AU: zombie apocalypse au

Word Count: 5.1k

Summary: What could be worse than being separated from the love of your life in a zombie apocalypse? Hongjoong was forced to leave you behind with his friend, Seonghwa, as he ventures out alone to search for the rest of his missing group members. Will Hongjoong be successful in his solo mission to find his members? Will he be able to return to you unscathed? And what happens when you're stuck with his caring best friend, who is hopelessly in love with you, for too long?

Part 13 | Masterlist | Part 15

"Attack."

Those were the last words your brain could register before your world turned into a complete blur.

It was chaotic as all the people around you immediately began scrambling about in an effort to shield you. Your trembling eyes remained locked with Minho's crazed ones as he took a step back in amusement to enjoy the show.

Seungmin stood helplessly beside him for a moment before running off somewhere quickly.

As the super zombie lurched forward, its grotesque features twisted into a malevolent grin, the group of determined survivors sprang into action. Each member had their own unique skills and weapons, and they were about to put them to the ultimate test against this formidable adversary.

You watch as your boyfriend sends his best friend a quick nod before getting into a stance ready to fight, signalling for the taller male to get you someplace safe.

Without hesitation, Seonghwa tightened his grasp on your hand and guided you swiftly into one of the many wardrobes scattered throughout the furniture store. Inside, the confined space offered a semblance of shelter from the impending chaos.

"Hwa, shouldn't we help?" He shook his head, "It's Joong's orders. Sometimes, the best thing we can do is to stay out of their way."

Meanwhile, the gang leader and the captain exchanged a wordless yet resolute glance.

In this dire moment, they put aside any lingering tensions and understood that their shared goal was to protect you and eliminate the zombie threatening your lives. It was a moment of unity in the face of overwhelming adversity.

Jeongin handed Chan some of the weapons in his hands as they all moved into the store to help the captain's friends. Mingi, with his axe, and Wooyoung, with his shovel, were kept busy trying to keep the zombie from moving any closer to where you were hiding.

With his strong leadership skills, Hongjoong quickly assessed the situation. He realised that direct combat with this monstrous creature might not be the best approach.

Instead, he grabbed a nearby fire extinguisher, aiming to use it as a makeshift smoke screen. He knew that obscuring the super zombie's vision would give his boys an advantage. With a swift pull of the pin and a squeeze of the handle, a thick cloud of white smoke filled the area, providing some much-needed cover.

Yeosang quickly moved in to pull Mingi and Wooyoung back into safety while the zombie was momentarily discombobulated.

As the smoke billowed around them, Yunho's keen senses kicked in. He had always been the agile one in the group, and now he used that agility to his advantage. Darting in and out of the smoke, he delivered quick, precise strikes to the creature's limbs, attempting to cripple it and slow its advance. His skills proved invaluable in this high-stakes battle.

Jongho had always been the brute force of the team, and he knew that sometimes sheer strength was the answer. With a roar, he charged at the zombie, swinging a newly obtained heavy metal pipe like a battering ram. His goal was to disorient the creature, knocking it off balance and giving his teammates an opening to strike.

With their skills being resourcefulness, Jeongin used his knowledge of the environment to set up makeshift traps, hoping to ensnare the zombie. Meanwhile, Jisung, armed with a crossbow, aimed for precision shots at critical points on the creature's body, trying to disable it bit by bit.

Feeling as though this all happened because of him, Bang Chan felt the weight of responsibility on his shoulders. He knew that he needed to protect you and the rest of the group at all costs.

With a cool head, he observed the chaos unfolding around him. Realising that brute force might not be enough, he started to formulate a plan. Using his tactical skills, he directed his members and some of Hongjoong's boys to coordinate their attacks, focusing on exploiting the super zombie's weaknesses.

Despite the overwhelming odds and the terror of facing such a monstrous opponent, the guys fought with unwavering determination and bravery.

They relied on each other's strengths and their own resourcefulness to fend off the super zombie. Whether it was using clever traps, unconventional weapons, or strategic teamwork, they were determined to survive this desperate battle and protect their loved ones.

Amidst the ongoing battle within the furniture store, Seungmin rushed off on a swift mission to fetch Changbin, Hyunjin and Felix.

Despite their typically distant relationships, the urgency of the situation compelled the scientist to believe that the remaining gang members could unite against Minho's dangerous scheme.

Slightly out of breath, he caught the three lounging in a dessert cafe.

Felix furrowed his brow upon seeing the scientist bent over, his hands propped on his knees, trying to catch his breath before stumbling into the cafe where they were enjoying some sweets before heading to rest for the night.

"Seungmin? What are you doing outside of your lab?" Hyunjin asks.

Okay, ouch. Way to make me sound lifeless.

The scientist resists the urge to roll his eyes, "No time to explain, there's an emergency! Minho hyung just released my latest prototype inside the mall. Chan hyung, Jisung and Jeongin are trying to fight it off with the new residents now. You need to come with me!"

Changbin shot up from his seat in shock, "What the f- why in the world would he do that?! Even regular testings are conducted at the loading bay, who in their right mind would think to release any of your experiments in here?"

Felix's face darkened, "It's because of her, isn't it?"

Seungmin nodded, "I think so, Minho hyung won't tell me anything but I think he got into a fight with Chan hyung because of her."

Hyunjin immediately moves to grab onto anything that could be used as a weapon around the area, sighing heavily, "I get that he's mad but isn't this a little much? Does he realise he's jeopardising everything we've worked so hard to build just because of his little tantrum?"

Changbin and Felix silently agreed with the tallest among them, quickly moving to do the same by grabbing whatever they could use to fight.

On the inside, Felix was fuming. Nothing good ever comes with your group, he could feel it since the moment he met Jongho. Things had been going so well for the gang and now, look at them. At the brink of falling apart all because of you.

But what he hated most was the fact that you'd reminded him too much of his late elder sister. All throughout dinner, he absolutely despised the way his heart squeezed painfully at the sight of you taking care of your friends. He hated the yearning to be on the receiving end of your affections like them.

Deep within, he longed for the comfort and care he once knew, but he understood that his role as a gang member left no room for such sentiments.

While Felix was upset with you and your friends for causing so much trouble since your entrance, Changbin and Hyunjin were more fed up with Minho's selfish behaviour.

The right-hand man may just be taking their motto a little too seriously since he clearly does not care for the consequences or aftermath of his own actions, and what it could potentially do to their gang and its members.

As they followed Seungmin to the furniture store, their hearts began to pound with anxiety. They were always the ones releasing their super zombies on victims, never the ones on the receiving end of such a terrifying encounter.

For once, the boys believed they finally understood how those poor survivors must have felt before meeting their tragic ends.

They still struggled to grasp the idea of one of their super zombies running free within District 9. And not just any other super zombie, it had to be the one they knew least about too. The second-in-command must have truly lost his mind to even consider pulling such a reckless stun.

Their hearts plummeted upon reaching the scene, the zombie was nothing like what they'd seen before. Seungmin had undoubtedly outdone himself with this creation, managing to strike terror even into the hearts of seasoned gang members such as themselves.

But what truly made their skin crawl was the twisted delight dancing in Minho's eyes. He watched, almost gleefully, as not just the new residents but also Chan, Jisung, and Jeongin fought for their lives.

Thanks to that, the boys begin to question their loyalty to Minho and his ruthless ways.

Lee Minho is the very embodiment of a deranged psychopath.

Amidst the tumultuous battle within the furniture store, chaos reigned as Hongjoong and Bang Chan tried their best to rally their members against the monstrous super zombie.

The abomination with enhanced strength, agility and chilling intelligence obediently followed Minho's commands, making it a formidable enemy.

The fight was relentless, with members from both sides clashing in desperate and deadly skirmishes.

All the while, Hongjoong and Chan kept a close eye on you, their protective instincts burning bright. You were hidden away in one of the wardrobes, your trembling form sheltered by Seonghwa's strong presence.

Sensing your immense fear, he pressed a kiss onto the back of your hand, "Hey, hey, look at me. I'm here."

Your heart fluttered at his actions, but before you could respond, your attention was suddenly drawn by the cries of pain. You turned to witness two figures grappling with their lower bodies trapped beneath a toppled cupboard.

Jeongin and Wooyoung had gotten hurt during the brutal clash with the super zombie. Your heart lurched in your chest, and you immediately moved to push the wardrobe door open, wanting desperately to help them, but your friend stopped you abruptly.

"No! What are you doing?" Seonghwa's steely determination prevented you from endangering yourself, "Hwa, they're hurt! I must help them," He shook his head firmly, "You will do no such thing. The moment you go out there, you're dead meat. You do realise you're the target, right?"

Realisation dawned on you, he was right.

"Stay here, I'll go," Your eyes widened in panic, "No, Hwa-" With a glare, he effectively shut you up, "Please, listen to me. I can't lose you, alright? Don't make this any harder than it has to be."

With reluctance, you obeyed his command and stayed hidden. You watched anxiously as Seonghwa, ignoring the pain in his abdomen, did his best to lift the cupboard in order to free the two boys whose legs were wedged underneath.

Then, disaster struck.

"Hyung, behind you!" You hear Wooyoung screeching loudly in fear.

The super zombie nearly reached Seonghwa, who was defending the injured Jeongin and Wooyoung. Panic coursed through you and without thinking, you rushed out of the wardrobe to help.

"No, Seonghwa!" Your desperate cry rang through the air, your voice instantly alerting Hongjoong. His heart plummeted as he realised you were no longer safely hidden. His eyes widened in terror as he spotted the charging super zombie, which was dangerously close to his best friend.

Your boyfriend reacted instantly, his feet propelling him towards you. Despite his immediate instinct to rush to your aid, the vast distance between you felt insurmountable. You were on the far end of the store, and it was tearing him apart that he most likely wouldn't reach you in time.

As you were reaching the three, Hongjoong was relieved to see that Chan had spotted you as he quickly assessed the situation.

Without hesitation, the gang leader moved to intercept the zombie's lethal charge. This was his chance to make up for everything he's done. If he has to die just to keep you safe then so be it, he would be more than willing to do so.

Anything for your safety and happiness.

Anything.

Squeezing your eyes shut, you threw your arms around Seonghwa from behind without hesitation as he attempted to shield Jeongin and Wooyoung, who were still stuck. He panics when he realised you were trying to protect him and immediately moved to pull you into his hold instead, but you refused to budge.

At that very moment, Jisung, sensing the imminent danger, leapt in between Chan and the super zombie. A gut-wrenching sacrifice unfolded before your eyes. Jisung bore the brunt of the zombie's attack, his brave act saving all your lives.

He staggered backwards and clutched his neck where the creature had taken a huge chunk off with its teeth, blood flowing out of the wound uncontrollably.

The creature's intentions loomed ominously but before it could further harm the poor boy, Mingi and Jongho finally emerged from behind to hold it back by its arms. The two forcefully pulled it away with gritted teeth while trying to avoid getting bitten.

Time seemed to slow down as Chan witnessed Jisung sacrifice his own life. He rushed forward, cradling the fallen gang member in his arms, gently laying him on the ground.

Jisung, of all people, had laid down his life to protect his leader.

Jisung, who had been stuck in detention for someone else's mistake, an injustice that Chan had recklessly ignored.

Jisung, on the brink of liberation, had been so close to fleeing District 9 and Stray Kids, so close to being free from Chan's grasp.

Now, he lay there, gradually losing his life to the relentless blood loss. What made it even more unbearable was that it was all because of Chan. He would never be able to forgive himself for this.

Meanwhile, Hongjoong and Yunho quickly swooped in to assist you and Seonghwa in lifting the cupboard off of the two boys, pulling them onto their feet.

Once free, Jeongin wailed loudly and stumbled towards Jisung, who was now lying weakly in Chan's arms, "Jisung hyung!"

"Chan hyung, I'm sorry for trying to leave without bidding you a proper goodbye. I've been a bad comrade." Jisung whispered an apology, his words making the leader feel guilt he'd never felt for any of his members before.

The gang leader shook his head furiously, tears streaming down his face, "You have nothing to apologise for. Why did you even save me, you idiot? God, you could've left with them. I didn't deserve it after how I've neglected you for so long! If anything, I've been a terrible leader."

Jisung offered a faint smile, "It's never too late to change, hyung. Perhaps you can learn to be a better leader and person now." Chan nodded tearfully, acknowledging the futility of the situation.

"And Jeongin-ah, I hope you'll be able to live the life that you want after this. You'll take care of him, noona, won't you?" You wiped away your tears, nodding, "Of course! Don't worry, Jisung."

Even though you had only just met Jisung moments ago, you could tell he was a decent person. You'd heard a little bit about him from Jongho before, you couldn't believe he was leaving so soon already.

Just like that, his life slipped away as the battle raged on around you.

You instinctively drew Jeongin closer into your arms as he sobbed miserably, his tears soaking into the fabric of your clothing, while Chan remained rooted in his spot, numbly swaying Jisung's lifeless form back and forth.

"Umm... guys? A little help here?"

Mingi's urgent yell pierced the sorrow-laden air, commanding the immediate attention of your friends.

Seonghwa and Wooyoung stood steadfastly by your side, providing silent support. Hongjoong, Yunho and Yeosang immediately went to assist the other two in their attempt to subdue the creature that was still thrashing wildly in their hold.

It was at that moment that Seungmin, Changbin, Hyunjin and Felix arrived to help the group, their presence momentarily turning the tide of battle. Even as they noticed Jisung's lifeless form in Chan's embrace, there was no time for mourning. If anything, the anger they felt was enough to fuel their determination to get rid of this monster.

Seeing Mingi and Jongho begin to grow tired, Changbin and Hyunjin take over the task of restraining the super zombie. Seungmin helped Felix load the shotgun handed to them by Yunho.

The scientist shook his head at the sight of his creation, still going strong despite all the apparent damages inflicted by your friends earlier. He didn't know if he should be feeling proud or ashamed of the abomination he'd produced.

With a heavy sigh, Seungmin nodded, his voice carrying a note of finality, "Finish it off, Felix."

A loud bang sounded across the store, and the creature fell limp. Together with Hongjoong's group, they finally managed to defeat the super zombie.

Relief surged through you like a tidal wave as you watched them drop the motionless zombie onto the ground.

Oh, thank god. Finally.

As the chaos of battle subsided and the frantic adrenaline began to ebb away, Chan found himself gripped by an overwhelming sensation of guilt. It was a heavy, gnawing feeling that settled deep within his chest and it was relentless.

He sat amidst the debris-strewn battlefield, his eyes fixed on Jisung's lifeless form cradled in his arms. The life that had once animated the boy was now extinguished and it was a direct consequence of Jisung's act of selflessness, sacrificing himself to save Chan.

Chan's mind replayed the events leading up to this tragic moment. He couldn't escape the stark realisation that he had been a poor leader, one who had allowed the bonds of camaraderie to wither and neglect to take root.

Jisung's face, now forever frozen in stillness, haunted Chan.

The same Jisung who had stood by his side through thick and thin, through countless trials and tribulations, had been pushed to the point of sacrificing himself for the very leader who had often neglected him.

The guilt weighed heavily on Chan's conscience.

He couldn't help but recall the times when he had dismissed Jisung's contributions, failed to acknowledge his sacrifices or simply taken his unwavering loyalty for granted. It was a painful introspection, and he felt a profound sorrow for not recognising Jisung's worth until it was too late.

As the leader clung to Jisung's lifeless body, he whispered apologies, his voice choked with remorse. He wished he could turn back time, rewrite the story and be the leader that Jisung truly deserved. But all he had now were the haunting echoes of his past neglect, mingling with the devastating reality of the present loss.

As the dust began to settle, the group slowly converged around Jisung's lifeless body. Grief and shock hung heavy in the air and for a moment, the one responsible for this gruesome act faded into the background.

With no one noticing, the gang's right-hand man, seethed with simmering fury. Betrayal coursed through him like a venomous river.

How dare his own gang members side with you, the outsiders? Even Seungmin, whom he had believed to be his loyal follower, had brought reinforcements to ruin his sinister plans.

It wasn't Jisung's sacrifice that particularly irked him; in some twisted way, it seemed like a small price to pay for his revenge. But things certainly would have been much more interesting if it had been you or your friends dying instead.

What truly infuriated him was the gang's audacity to stop their very own super zombie. They had defied his will, and Minho's control over the situation was slipping.

In his mounting rage and desperation, Minho drew his dagger, his eyes gleaming with madness. He was consumed by a burning desire to crush all opposition, convinced that he was the only one capable of executing his dark ambitions.

I swear to god, you can't rely on anyone to finish the job. I have to do everything myself around here.

As the group mourned Jisung's tragic fate, Minho saw an opportunity. In the midst of their grief, he stealthily navigated the chaos, drawing closer to you, who stood isolated from the group.

Ah yes, at least luck is still on my side.

His relentless pursuit led him to your side and in a swift, sinister move, Minho encircled your shoulders from behind, silencing your cry with a firm grip on your mouth. The cold, deadly edge of his dagger pressed menacingly against your fragile skin.

A small gasp escaped you, alerting the others to the unfolding hostage situation. They held their collective breath, inching cautiously closer, their hearts pounding in their chests.

"You didn't really think it was over now, did you?" Minho taunted, a malicious grin etching across his face as he threatened to extinguish your life, "Congratulations, you got rid of the zombie. But don't tell me you thought I was going to stop just because of that. I mean, I guess I'll just have to kill her myself then."

Time hung suspended as Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Chan and your friends stood paralysed, caught in the tense and perilous standoff before them. You see your boyfriend and childhood friend exchanged worried glances as they stood a few paces away from Minho.

"Hold on, Minho," Hongjoong began, his voice steady and laced with concern, "This doesn't have to go any further. Let's talk about this."

Chan nodded, his eyes locked onto Minho's, "Yeah, man. We can work this out. Just let her go."

Minho's eyes darted between the two leaders, a malicious grin still playing on his lips, "Talk? Work it out?" He laughed bitterly, "You both should've thought about that before you ruined everything."

Chan's voice remained calm, despite the tension in the air, "Look, Minho, I know you're upset about work being put on hold for a bit, but there's a better way to handle it. Violence won't solve anything."

Hongjoong chimed in, "Besides, we'll be out of your hair real soon just like you'd wanted. Just lower the weapon and things can go back to the way it was before we came along."

Minho hesitated for a moment, his grip on you trembling. You whimpered, feeling the edge of his dagger digging into your skin.

Hongjoong, though desperately trying to keep his cool, couldn't help but feel a surge of anger and worry at the sight of a small cut forming on your neck. Your frightened eyes met his and he offered you a reassuring smile, a silent promise that he was there for you.

I'm here, baby. It'll be okay.

The tension in the room was palpable and everyone held their breath, waiting for Minho's next move.

His eyes darted around at the determined faces of the gang members, who had gradually surrounded him. He realised that he was outnumbered, and his grip on you was slipping.

"You don't actually expect me to believe that, do you?" He muttered, his anger warring with desperation, "I heard what this bitch said to you, Chan. She asked you to turn Stray Kids into some charity nonsense and that wasn't even the worst part! You're actually considering it, aren't you?"

A small cry escaped you as Minho pressed the dagger deeper into your neck, drawing fresh blood. Your boyfriend's eyes widened, his voice pleading, "Please, don't!"

The gang leader froze at his second-in-command's words.

Suddenly, it all seemed to fall into place.

Minho had indeed overheard your conversation and this was likely the reason for his drastic and dangerous actions. Perhaps he had anticipated that this moment would spell the end of Stray Kids.

As this revelation hung heavily in the air, the rest of the gang turned their attention to Chan. They were desperate to know if what Minho had accused him of was true.

Was the leader genuinely planning to disband the gang and use their resources to do good instead?

Chan let out a heavy sigh, his voice carrying a weariness that betrayed his true feelings, "Yes, I'll admit I did consider it for a moment. But you have my word, Hongjoong and his group will be leaving soon, and things can return to normal, just as he said. If you let her go, we can sort this out."

That was a lie.

But in that critical moment, his only concern was getting you out of this dangerous situation unharmed. His focus was on protecting you above all else.

Tension hung thick in the air as Minho weighed his options, his face contorted with conflicting emotions. He desperately wanted to believe Chan, to have things return to the way they were before Jongho and you arrived.

All he had ever wanted was for things to go back to normal.

But Minho's anger flared as he observed the way Chan gazed at you, his eyes brimming with affection and concern.

It was sickening to witness and he couldn't find it within himself to forgive you for the turmoil your presence had unleashed. The way Chan looked at you told him that he might never truly let you go.

Promises of returning to normality didn't ease Minho's worries. He understood that just because the leader claimed things would return to how they were didn't mean it would last. There was always the lurking fear that Chan might eventually prioritise you over his gang.

"That's enough, Chan. I'm not buying any of your bullshit. Sorry to let you down, but she has to go." Minho's voice dripped with anger and mistrust, dismissing the leader's words as mere deception.

He tightened his grip on you, sending a shiver down your spine.

At that moment, the super zombie, which had appeared subdued, mysteriously sprang back to life, sending shockwaves of fear through the group. Seonghwa quickly ushered the younger members away, creating some distance from the now-resurrected creature, while the gang members prepared for another round of combat.

Unbeknownst to everyone, the creature's regenerative abilities had allowed it to survive the earlier assault, and it had not truly been defeated.

You couldn't help but sob in despair, feeling utterly helpless as you watched your friends brace themselves for another battle.

Behind you, Minho erupted in laughter, his tone malicious, "Oh, don't you just love surprises." You squirmed in his grasp as he whispered slyly into your ear.

Without warning, the super zombie twitched and convulsed, its grotesque form contorting in unnatural ways. Its eyes, previously fixed on you, now flickered erratically, displaying a disturbing mix of colours. A low, guttural growl emanated from deep within its throat while its eyes were now trained on a new target; its master.

Minho's laughter came to an abrupt halt as he watched in horrified disbelief.

The creature, driven by its malfunctioning systems, eyes locked on him, its gaze filled with an unsettling mix of rage and confusion. With a speed that defied its hulking appearance, it lunged in the direction of Minho and you.

"Stop. Stop, stop!" The right-hand man continuously recited the term meant to stop the creature, but it appeared utterly useless. This was the side effect that Seungmin had mentioned when warning him earlier.

With the super zombie's malfunction sending it into a frenzy, chaos reigned supreme in the dimly lit furniture store.

Minho's attempt to use you as a human shield only added to the pandemonium, as you struggled in his grasp, fear coursing through your veins.

Chan, acting on sheer instinct, lunged forward with a burst of speed and precision that was truly astonishing.

He grabbed you just in the nick of time, pulling you out of Minho's grasp before passing you to your boyfriend as the deranged second-in-command stumbled backwards, his shocked expression turning into one of pure terror.

Hongjoong's arms enveloped you, drawing you into a tight embrace as he realised just how close you had come to being lost forever. Over his shoulder, your eyes met Seonghwa's and in his tear-filled gaze, you saw the overwhelming relief that mirrored your own emotions.

The malfunctioning super zombie wasted no time. With a grotesque snarl, it leapt at Minho, its malformed limbs flailing wildly. Minho desperately tried to defend himself, his knife raised to fend off the creature, but it was too late. The creature's enhanced strength and agility overwhelmed him.

In a harrowing sequence of events, the super zombie overpowered Minho, its deformed fingers wrapping around his throat. Minho's eyes widened with a mixture of disbelief and horror as he gasped for breath, his once-dominant demeanour reduced to a frail shadow.

The gang members, witnessing the grim spectacle unfolding before them, hesitated for a moment. They had seen Minho as an intimidating figure, but now he was being mercilessly throttled by the very creation he had unleashed.

The reality was chilling, and it took a moment for them to process what was happening.

But they knew they couldn't stand idly by. With renewed determination, the guys launched into action once more. They surrounded the struggling duo, desperately trying to pry the monstrous hands of the super zombie away from Minho.

Jongho, Mingi and Yeosang, displaying their incredible strength, wrestled with the creature's limbs, attempting to free Minho from its deadly grip. Jeongin, Wooyoung and Yunho, fueled by adrenaline and anger at Minho's actions, searched for any vulnerability in the creature's horrific form.

Seungmin, Changbin, Hyunjin and Felix, still reeling from the earlier revelation, joined the effort. They wielded weapons with determination, striking the super zombie with calculated precision, each blow contributing to its weakening state.

Amid the frantic struggle, Minho's life hung in the balance. His face turned an ominous shade of blue and his gasps for air grew weaker. But the guys fought on, their unity and resolve stronger than ever.

Finally, with one last collective surge of effort, they succeeded.

The zombie's malfunctioning systems could no longer sustain its rampage. With a final, spine-chilling screech, it ceased all movement, collapsing onto the ground in a grotesque heap.

All the guys, exhausted and battered, stared at the lifeless creature before them. Minho lay motionless on the ground, his once-commanding presence extinguished forever.

The furniture store, once a battlefield, fell into an eerie silence.

In the aftermath of the brutal showdown, the guys of Chan's gang and Hongjoong's group exchanged solemn glances, their victory bittersweet. The price of their survival had been steep, and the memory of Jisung's sacrifice still weighed heavily on their hearts.

But as they stood together, united in the face of unimaginable challenges, they couldn't help but feel a renewed sense of purpose.

"It's over, my love. It's finally over." Hongjoong whispered to you, his voice a soothing balm. He pressed gentle kisses all over your forehead, his actions as much a reassurance to himself as to you.

Seonghwa, standing nearby, couldn't help but smile through his tears. He was just grateful that you were safe in Hongjoong's embrace and that this nightmare was over.

Believe me when I tell y'all, this was stressful asf to write. I wasn't initially going to update so soon but I really just wanted to get this over with huhu. As always, thanks for reading and I'd love to hear your thoughts! <3

Tag list: @aurasblue @tmtxtf @park-simphwa @sunnyhokyu @felixs-voice-makes-me-wanna @marievllr-abg

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'The Villain's Relentless Love' Story Sale: Liam

I do not own any of the Ikemen Series content being uploaded on this blog, everything belongs to CYBIRD. Please support them by playing their games and buying stories. Not 100% accurate, expect mistakes and grammatical errors. Reblogs appreciated.

read this before interacting with my posts

Liam’s performance came to an end with the theatre’s audience at full house, and he basked in the audience’s roaring applause.

By the time Liam and I returned to the castle, it was already past midnight—.

Liam: *Sigh* I’m glad it went smoothly!

The moment he entered the room, Liam collapsed onto his bed and heaved a sigh of relief.

Kate: Fufu, this production took a rather long time. You’ve worked hard, Liam.

I sat down on the bed, stroking his rose coloured hair and he smiled cheerfully.

(Really though, Liam looked amazing tonight.)

Standing under the spotlight, Liam captivated every single member of the audience, like the brightest star shining in the sky. That image remained vivid in my heart.

I thought back to how my lover looked back then, and our fingers intertwined as we laid on the bed…

Liam: Hey, Kate.

Kate: … Yeah?

Liam: Recently, I realised that I have found more places that I enjoy being at.

Liam: Under the stars, on stage… and on the sheets with you.

Liam tightly squeezed our intertwined fingers and muttered like he was biting down on his words.

Liam: … You’re my special place.

Kate: … Liam.

Liam: And I must protect my favourite place. So, from now on, I’ll keep on trying my best.

Liam: I’ll steal your heart and make you love me even more.

After we became lovers, Liam was always saying that he would try his best.

His blind love made me incredibly happy and full of love.

However—

(Even though I feel the same way about him…)

I couldn’t help feeling uneasy whenever he stood on stage and captivated everyone’s gazes.

I always wished that he would love me more and more. More today than he did yesterday, more tomorrow than he does today.

(Tonight, I want to try harder than Liam.)

Kate: I feel the same way, Liam. Every day, I think about wanting you to love me even more.

Kate: And so, tonight, to reward you for your successful performance, I—

Liam: You…?

To hide my embarrassment, I pressed a kiss to Liam’s lip while he was lying on the bed.

Kate: I… I want you to love me.

Kate: I want you to do everything you want to me. … I’ll gladly accept.

Liam: Kate…

Liam: Ah… you make “everything” sound so simple…

Liam sat up and stared into my face with a testing look.

Liam: I love you much more than you think I do, I love everything about you… do you understand that?

Kate: I do. I know that you’re kind and you love me a lot.

Kate: If I didn't, I wouldn't be able to say something that embarrassing.

Liam: …

Liam: Kate — promise that you won't ever, ever hate me.

(Huh…?)

When I looked up at him, I noticed that the usual calm expression Liam had was gone.

I was surprised by how passionate he was, and I felt his hand slip to my sides before pulling me onto his lap and holding me from behind.

As I was wondering why he held me in that position,

(Ah…)

I realised that there was a large window in front of us with its curtains wide open.

The two of us were reflected on the glass window that showed the night sky outside. Just as I was about to point that out—

Kate: Mmph…

Liam grasped my chin with his fingertips, turned my head to face him, and our lips met.

(... His kiss is more intense than usual.)

I twisted my body to look back at Liam, desperate for his tongue.

Liam’s hand moved to touch my breasts over my clothes.

Kate: Ahh…

In that position, Liam toyed with my sensitive peaks through my clothes, sending a tingling sensation through my body.

Liam: They’re getting so pointy. Doesn’t rubbing against your clothing make them hurt?

Liam: I want to see them. Your cute, pointy, and rosy nipples.

Liam: … Can I strip you?

Without waiting for my answer, he undid the ribbons at the back of my blouse, causing it to fall off my shoulders and onto my stomach.

It felt embarrassing to have only my underwear on, and Liam’s hands forcefully pulled them down.

(...!)

Liam: There, I can see it all now. Your nipples are so cute, Kate… so, so, cute.

Liam: They’re so red, it's like they’re asking me to touch them more.

Liam gently grabbed my exposed breasts, holding them and pinching my red and pointy nipples.

Kate: Nn.. ahh…

— And I saw my reflection in the window in front of me.

I watched Liam kneading my breasts, my facial expression nowhere near calm.

(No, this is too embarrassing…)

Kate: Hey, Liam. This… spot is…

Liam: Right? Isn’t it so shameful to be able to see everything?

Kate: Are you doing this on purpose— ahh…

Still toying with my breasts, Liam’s experienced hand swiftly removed my shorts.

While holding me from behind, he spread my legs wide open.

Kate: Ah… Liam. Everything’s… on show…

Liam: Mm-hmm. I want you to see it all. Look at who it is that always makes you feel good over here.

Liam grabbed my embarrassed face by the chin with one hand, slipping his other hand between my legs.

Liam: Aha, you’re so wet already. I’ll make you even wetter.

Kate: Ahh…nn…

Obscene wet noises filled the room as he moved his fingers inside me.

Liam: No. Don’t look away. I want you to watch me turn you into a complete mess.

Through my reflection in the window, I watched as Liam stimulated my sensitive buds and torturing the wet spot between my legs.

Kate: Haa…

Liam: You’re so cute… you’re about to cum, aren't you? I’d love for you to cum right now, but…

Liam: I’m… at my limit too.

Liam pulled his fingers away before lifting me from his lap and laying me down on the bed.

He then took off his pants and underwear slowly like he was putting on a show for me.

Liam: Kate, I want you to put my dick inside you by yourself.

*yes i hath given up on cybird let’s spice things up ourselves, shall we? let us say dick !

Kate: M- Myself…?

Liam: Yes. You’re already making me so sore… please.

The shame was making me feel dizzy, and yet it was me who said that I would accept everything Liam wanted to do to me.

I pushed my embarrassment aside and lifted my hips, positioning Liam’s hot and hard dick against my wet entrance.

(I’m so embarrassed it’s driving me nuts…)

Even the slightest movements created lewd wet noises.

Liam: Haa… look at you spreading your legs and craving me. You’re so naughty and cute.

Kate: Nn…

Liam: I can’t wait any longer. … Let me help.

Liam slowly pushed himself into me, gripping onto my waist.

Kate: Ahh…

The strong surge in pleasure made me reflexively buck my hips, rubbing myself against him.

(This feels so good… I’m losing my mind…)

Liam tightened his grip on my waist as I writhed in pleasure.

— As if to say he was never going to let me go.

Liam: I can’t get enough of seeing you look up at me from below, Kate. I want you to feel even better with me inside you…

Liam pinned me down and mercilessly rubbed my wet spot.

He squeezed and teased the tips of my breasts while thrusting into me.

Kate: Ahh… Liam… this feels… good…

Liam: Haa… I feel good too… so good

Liam frowned as he stroked the area on my abdomen below my navel.

Liam: Hey, Kate…

Liam: How many times do I have to fuck you for “this place” to remember me?

Kate: Huh…?

Liam: I want this place to remember me, and only let me be inside it…

Liam’s love was — heavy.

But that was what I loved about him.

Liam: Whenever our bodies become one like this, I wonder why we’re two separate individuals.

Liam: … It makes me feel frustrated sometimes.

Liam: I get anxious when we’re apart, because our hearts are in different places. I can’t stop thinking about you.

Liam: And yet…

Liam: Because we’re different people… we can love each other like this.

Liam: I love the frustration, sorrow, and all that happens between us. Everything.

My heart was so moved by Liam’s intense and genuine love, I couldn't help embracing him in my arms.

Kate: … I love you too, Liam.

Liam smiled happily and thrust into me again, pulling me into a whirlpool of pleasure.

I was sure that tonight — our bodies would never be apart.

[lizardsfromspace]

Social media feature tests are like, we made everyone use this new feature with no alternative options and our site's users used this feature we made them all use, which means it's a roaring success and they love it

Like the only way a test can "fail" is if everyone quits the site over it. Even some people quitting the site over it isn't enough, because success is assured when you make everyone do something and point to everyone doing that thing as evidence they want to do that thing

[miss-spookhead]

okay look: this blog may be deader than a doornail, but by god am i going to revive it so i can ramble on about a steddie how to train your dragon au

now hear me out--Eddie, obviously, is hiccup. an eccentric, outcast underdog of the highest degree. he may not be looking to prove himself like hiccup is, but the idea still works. what really matters is that he's different. he doesn't fit into the mold of what a dragon-killing viking should be, and maybe he takes a lot of pride in it.

what he doesn't take a lot of pride in, however, is his absolutely mortifying crush on Steve Harrington, the local dragon-slaying overachiever, chief's son, and all around air-headed jock whose confident douchebaggery has Eddie reeling at the very idea that he very much is attracted to him.

besides his humiliating crush on Harrington, Eddie sets his sights on two things more productive: discovering whatever there is to know about the dragons his village is so obsessed with killing, and aiding his uncle Wayne's blacksmith shop. and Eddie loves wayne, odin's beard he does--he calls Eddie his fucking son--but the old man puts a lot of belief on his beanpole excuse of a viking nephew.

like, wayne looks Eddie in the eyes with those sad, tired eyes of his, calls him son, and asks him to carry on his life's work. and who is Eddie to say no to him? he likes building shit. he has an eye for the artistic. he'd give the whole world to that old man just to make him the slightest bit proud of him.

case in point: he's hauling an actual catapult to the top of an empty hill in the middle of the night so he can give one of his newest builds a little test run. launch a spare bola into the forest, why not.

so, once he heaves the bola into the mouth of the catapult (which does a real number to his pissant limbs), his eyes wander to the inky night sky above him. they trace the blinking stars, and he feels this odd calm wrap around him. he can't even place the last time he's felt this at peace before in his life. it's never been so quiet.

he dashes the thought once he sees a blot of black nothingness engulf the stars, bit by bit in quick succession. like a shadow soaring through the night sky. something is out there.

a fucking night fury.

"shit." Eddie's hand slips, and down goes the lever. out goes the bola.

"shit!" clearly, it hits. a bellowing roar echoes from the sky, and there's a great rustle and thud as the dragon makes impact with the forest's trees.

Eddie stumbles backwards in shock. his mind is racing, positively buzzing like a hive of bees in his head. he hit a night fury. like, actually shot it down from the sky. using one of the bola catapults that he built.

now, Eddie, non-conformist that he is, wouldn't usually want to brag about taking down a godsdamned night fury with his own catapult to the common viking, Harrington be damned, but this. this is a real achievement. he can hold something above his stupid head and his beautiful hair. his ego demanded it.

and even if he wanted to stay tight-lipped about the situation, wayne still has to know.

and come the morning, he's got to prove it somehow.

"can't son," wayne says gruffly. he lugs the axe head he's been diligently hammering on into a bucket of cold water at his feet, then looks at Eddie with those droopy eyes. "someone has to keep shop, and I ain't discouragin' you from your little..." he trails off, yanking the steel from the bucket, "adventures."

frigg bless his heart for at least encouraging Eddie's bullshit, even when he's not an active participant. and maybe that's the worst part of their relationship, Eddie thinks, that wayne would very gladly shoulder all that burden, all that extra work just so Eddie could..well...be himself.

Eddie opens his mouth to argue, even when he knows his uncle is right, but wayne shakes his head. he's got a solemn look about him, worn and frayed on the edges. it shuts Eddie up real quickly.

it's a wordless agreement.

so, Eddie turns heel, ready to make his way to the forest, and promptly collides with Harrington. the asshole probably sidled up behind him to collect whatever weapon Wayne's making without even considering that his nephew was trying to goad him into seeing a night fury. which said nephew took down himself mind you.

whatever. asshole.

"odin's beard," Harrington huffs, running a hand through his, sigh, perfect hair, "do you ever watch where you're going, munson?"

"apologies for not making way for royalty, cheifling," Eddie snaps, and stomps off. he can practically feel Harrington's dumbfounded stare even when he's out of sight. chiefling. that's a good one.

what he really should be focusing on is the night fury in the forest. the forest that he's lost in. the night fury that he shot down that's in the forest that he's lost in.

jord help him.

"--and you really went and did it, Edward," Eddie mumbles to himself, tone manic. he digs the toes of his boots into the soil as he walks, "you hit a dragon and you fucking lose it. you do something right--then poof! gone into thin air!"

"classic. fucking. munson"-- he kicks a sizable pebble on the ground in frustration--"blunder!"

it makes impact with the trunk of a fallen tree.

no--the tree is snapped in half. like something heavy fell against it. like a dragon. like a night fury.

quickly, he stumbles over the broken tree, over a few rocks, and he finds the body of the night fury, bound at the legs by the launched bola.

it's still. dead still.

Eddie swallows, hand unsteadily reaching for the knife at his side.

the night fury is a stark black, sleek and scaly. Eddie imagines how smooth it would be if he slid grazed the dragons skin with his hand. atop its head is a smatter of grey spots, from the tip of its head to its snout. kind of like dust.

Eddie blinks.

it's so...fragile looking. and, gods, he fucking killed it.

"look at it," he whispers to himself, half in pride and half in utter, stomach churning despair. "look at what you've done."

breath caught in his throat, Eddie pokes the belly of the dragon with the toe of his boot, just to make sure.

its eyes shoot open, belly sucking in quickly as it takes a sharp breath. it's leg pushes against Eddie, shoving him backward onto his ass.

"shiiiiiiiit!" he chokes out, quickly bringing himself to his feet. his legs wobble like a newborn lamb, and he crowds his back against the rock behind him.

his stomach pools with fear, and obviously, he does what he does best--

Eddie's halfway through a pathetic attempt to climb over the rock to get the fuck out of there, when the night fury whimpers behind him. his head turns slowly, heart beating like war drums, and he finds the dragons eyes trained on him.

Eddie thinks he might die.

he slides down the rock, grunting as he lands on his feet, and he stalks carefully toward the beast. he's white-knuckling his knife as the night fury's eyes keep following him 'til he ends up at its feet.

chest heaving, Eddie raises the knife, and the night fury drops its head in defeat.

but Eddie resolves not to kill the dragon. instead, he takes the rope binding the night fury's wings and begins cutting it, putting a whole lot of elbow grease into the effort.

and when he's done, the dragon stirs, pushing Eddie to the ground with its front legs, the pressure almost crushing the bones of his shoulders into powder.

it roars, spittle landing all over his face, and Eddie screams in response. using his entire chest.

the night fury reels backwards in surprise, blinking rapidly, then staggers further into the forest, leaving Eddie in the dust.

Eddie's shaky hands meet his shoulders in an attempt to sooth the pain. the shock. the confusion of it all.

Eddie--he...he did something. something incredible. he built a bolas and shot it into the night sky and hit a night fury. something no other person has ever done. not even perfect Harrington and his perfect hair and his perfect resolve when slaying dragons.

he hit a night fury--black and spotty--and found it in the woods. near death.

and he freed it.

if he were Steve Harrington, would he have freed it? would he have felt a sliver of empathy for the creature, or would he follow in the footsteps of his father and put it out of his misery?

does Eddie even want to be like Harrington? no. he doesn't. not in a million godsdamned years. he may be beautiful and strong and capable, but Eddie is nothing like the chiefling. and he's proud of it.

Eddie stares out into the mess of trees in front of him, listens to the distant stomping.

without scooping up his knife, he turns and runs.

[howlingday]

Godzilla in Remnant?

Okay, so... I want to do something a little different here. Instead of writing a story about Godzilla coming in, killing everything and everyone, fight some giant Grimm monster, then slink off back into the sea OR making a story of Ruby and Godzilla teaming up and solving mysteries around Remnant where Ruby does all the legwork and investigating and Godzilla is just loafing around until the monster of the week shows up, I wanna instead put a Godzilla in Remnant by Remnant.

I would like to take this time to apologize for to any TRUE Godzilla fans who may find my knowledge and understanding of the tremendum of the King of the Monsters. If my version sucks and you think you can do better than me, then by all means, go for it. I'm sure it will be better than what I craft here with my... three movie knowledge of Godzilla, the first of which is... GodZilla from the 1990s. Yeah... That's a lot of fish to unpack from the word go, huh?

Anywho, let's build us a

Godzilla in Remnant!

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

So, let's start with Godzilla's origins in Remnant, which I will use the original version. See, shortly after the Great War, Nicholas Schnee was experimenting with dust, which proved to be the most effective weapon used, to create his most powerful weapon ever designed; two dust-infused bombs with the power to level cities. However, it had to go through testing first. This testing was done off the coast off the northern Anima peninsula, at an outpost that is still known today as Argus. The test was a success as the bomb worked well.

A little too well.

Deep beneath the waves, off the coast of the outpost, there lived a creature dating back to the pre-Brothers era. The radiation of the explosion was so intense, it leveled the seafloor ecosystem, killing and irradiating everything nearby. Everything, except the creature. Wounded, but enraged, this monster would bide their time until they were fully healed so they could exact their vengeance upon the hubris of humanity.

This brings us to today. Jacques Schnee intends to restart the dust bomb project to make the bombs even bigger for the military. Such research would advance humanity's knowledge, understanding, and technology in the use of dust. Though there were many who protested the plan, the research, development, and production of the bomb were now in the testing phases. And why not start where the first testing was held? Right off the coast of Argus.

Bringing his family and several benefactors to the outpost to watch, Jacques had no idea the hell he would unleash. A carrier bullhead flies outward, carrying the bomb in it's bay. The audience watches with bated breath as the bomb, dubbed "Ancient Gasp," a name to harken in the next era, fell into the water, sinking deep enough for the carrier to flee.

Seconds became minutes. Minutes felt like hours. Jacques felt a pit build in his stomach. Did they fail? Was the bomb a dud? Suddenly, a deafening boom is heard as blinding light shines against the protective goggles of the onlookers. There is a roar of applause as the test was proven to be a success. The CEO heaved a sigh of relief...

...Which then became a gasp of horror.

From the depths, a monster unlike any Grimm observed swam towards the shore. This beast was larger than any ever seen before! Jutting from its back like jagged glass were dust crystals of a color the Schnee family had never seen. They looked so pure that the urge to weep was palpable. However, any weeping that followed was not of awe, but of terror.

Godzilla emerged on Argus Beach and left smoldering crater in his wake. His appetite for destruction was far from sated, but the carnage and fear he spread caused a distraction to arrive behind him. Such palpable fear drew in the Leviathan Grimm. There, a titanic battle raged, ending with a lightly wounded Godzilla emerging victorious. He retreated to the ocean once more to rest from his shortly cut rampage.

=========================

Now, I want to discuss two things here before I end this synopsis.

First is the design. I will preface by saying that I didn't lie when I said that I only saw three Godzilla movies, Godzilla (1998), Godzilla (2014), and Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019). However, my first real introduction to the realm of the Kaiju of Kaijus was the video game, Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee on Nintendo GameCube (2002). I also watched Godzilla, the 1999 TV series based on the 1998 film. There's also Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters (2017) on Netflix, which I begrudgingly watched (I say this because, well... It's boring to me). Finally, there's Death Battle, which features two iconic Godzilla fights, Godzilla VS Gamera and Mecha-Godzilla VS Dragonzord.

Now, as for the design, I wanted to create a Godzilla similar to the irradiated prehistoric amphibian reptile from the original 1954 film, Godzilla, by irradiating him with dust instead of, well, radiation. I've had a headcanon (probably disproven now) that dust has a bit of radiation and has to be handled carefully with proper personal protective equipment, like gloves, masks, and whatnot if handled raw. Processed has less of this radiation to where it's okay to hold it bare-handed, albeit not for very long. In terms of design, I'm thinking the standard Godzilla look with the dorsal to tail spines replaced by dust crystals. Does it sound like Space Godzilla? If yes, then that's because I used Space Godzilla as my template for his look, albeit with smaller dust crystals.

Second is where, if at all, that I see this story taking place. Notably, the ripple effects this event has on the rest of the world. Dust stocks will PLUMMET, leading to Jacques facing heavy criticism for his reckless abuse of dust. This will result in public opinion on dust to shift from useful and vital asset to cautionary and trepid tool. Weiss, being a huge advocate for dust since, you know, it's been her whole life, still vouches for its use, though she still gets a few glares from certain people when dust comes up in conversation, which it does. A lot. And Weiss has to play defense. Every. Single. Time.

Next is Salem taking not of this monster not under her control. Something this huge taking out her Leviathan, the LARGEST and arguably the most powerful of her Grimm with only a few scratches? This thing can't be allowed to continue existing. So Salem starts creating more Grimm. Bigger ones. Kaiju Grimm. It's an arms race, and the weapons being built are Grimm.

Thank you for reading this to the very end. If you have any questions or feedback on this idea and want to see more of it, feel free to let me know and maybe we can all build Godzilla in Remnant together.

Keep up the good work, and I'll try to do the same!