#there are like twenty ghosts in the house and i'm going to fix all of them

[echoes-lighthouse]

Tate and Echo: The Full Story

I'm trying to get all my lore for my selfships down on paper, and people said they would be most likely to engage with text posts with illustrations, so that's what I'm doing! I'm writing them so that they're hopefully understandable to people who don't know the source material (in this case, American Horror Story Season 1)

Previously: Toga

This selfship is pretty damn dark because of the source material being a horror show, so content warnings for murder, ableism, abuse, sexual assault, school shootings, suicide, toxic relationships, self harm, and parent/child death. Also I really struggled to summarize the ending to the story, because it's a bit of an eldritch ritual thing that only makes sense in the context of the story I haven't written lol

Chapter One: Backstories 

Tate Langdon was born in 1977, the youngest of three siblings and the first to be born without a disability. Accordingly, he grew up as his abusive mother’s ‘golden child,’ trying to protect his siblings and ultimately failing. His father allegedly ran away with an affair partner when he was six years old, leaving him the “man of the house” according to his mother (who had, in fact, killed his father and the affair partner). 

When Tate was 17, his older brother was murdered with the direction of his mother, who didn’t want him taken away from her due to her abuse (chaining him in the attic). Tate tried to kill his brother’s murderer, then killed fifteen people at his school, Westfield High, and committed suicide via police. 

Tate died in the property known as “the Murder House,” in which all people who die there remain in the house as ghosts, to serve an unknown hunger that lingers in its history. 

Echo Makovsky was born in 1987, an only child. They grew up happily, a third-generation witch with traditions passed down from their grandmother. They occasionally struggled with their powers, but ultimately graduated high school and went into a teaching degree. 

In 2012, everything went wrong for Echo: their best friend died in a car accident, their parents both passed away in the span of eight months. They took two months of bereavement, and then left their job altogether. By the next year, they had taken a new job teaching in the US, and they were looking at places to stay. 

While visiting for an interview, they took a tour of the Murder House and were immediately struck by the house’s energy. They went back to Canada, considered their options, and ultimately used their parents’ inheritance to buy the property. 

August 2014 finds Echo moving into the house that has claimed so many spirits, not knowing what they will find there… and also taking a teaching position at Westfield High. 

Chapter Two: First Meeting 

Echo enters the house and immediately starts to have nightmares. The house has many interlocking desires, but one of the pressing ones is to have a baby, to create a baby, to have something small to hold and nurture. Tate has promised one of the other ghosts that he’ll get them a baby, and Echo looks like a perfect opportunity. Among the nightmares of fire and bathtubs and searching endless hallways, Echo has a dream that a man comes to their room in the night and forces himself on them. 

That is, technically, Tate and Echo’s first meeting, although only one of them knows it. 

Echo starts to explore the house and encounter the spirits that dwell within it. They start to get into little routines: reading children’s books to the unseen sisters who like to sit by the fireplace and whisper to each other, making tea for the woman who wanders through the kitchen every day in tears, and rolling a ball back and forth with the spirit in the attic, who never speaks. 

One day, Echo is playing with the ghost in the attic and Tate introduces himself, joining the two of them. He tells Echo about Beau, his brother, the spirit chained in the attic. Tate is the first ghost that can actually talk to Echo properly, and they’re determined to get more information from him. 

Chapter Three: Getting Together 

Tate starts following Echo around after that, asking them questions and stealing their books. Echo likes him: he’s sardonic and sweet, clingy but goading in turn. He has information and tips about the spirits of children in the house, but stays closed-mouthed about most of the adults. The gaps in his information only make Echo more interested in his story, as do the inconsistencies in his behavior. 

Tate has always known how to be sweet and lovely: he knows that he’s pretty, he knows that he can use it to his advantage. The difference is that he’s never wanted to before. His mother always wanted him to be the perfect son, charming and soft, so he made himself as sharp and abrasive as he could manage. 

Now, he wants Echo for himself. He knows that the house wants them: he knows that every member of the house will want something from them. Tate is determined to stake his claim first, enough that Echo will choose him when the others come knocking. 

So he plays the vulnerable, the bird with a wounded wing. He’s attentive, he plays with his sweater sleeves, he confesses his insecurities, he talks about his nightmares instead of his hallucinations. He tries not to flinch under the onslaught of affection he receives in return, but it’s still not enough, still not more than Echo gives to all the members of the house. So he crawls into their arms and presses them against the back of the couch and Echo takes him to bed. 

And Tate thought he would be satisfied: he’s special, he’s chosen, but he’s lying. He’s playing a part and it’s starting to make him feel sick. The closer Echo gets to the other spirits, the closer Echo gets to finding out about the first night they were together, and Tate still can’t tell them how he died, or how he knew his mother abused his siblings and did nothing, or anything that isn’t part of the sweet boy he’s made himself into, to be easy to swallow, easy to hold. 

Part Four: Where We’re At  The Conclusion

It’s at work that things fall apart: in a conversation with another teacher, Tate is mentioned as the shooter that caused so much collective trauma at the school, and the pieces start clicking together. I hold onto the information for a while, resentful of needing to be the one to bring it up, trying to look at Tate from the right angle to make it all make sense. Trying to pretend that things can keep going as they’ve been. 

Filled with my months of labor and love, the house is finally opening up. Knowing that it might mean abandoning Tate, I descend into the heart of the house and give myself to the deepest reaches of the house’s need. I no longer know if I can fix things, with Tate or with the house itself, but I no longer care about my own well-being, and I can hope that my sacrifice will help. 

The house accepts me, and the First Abandoned Child, Thaddeus, is reborn through me: a bloody process that would have killed me if the spirits of the house hadn’t come together to save me. I come out of the process alive and with a baby in my arms, which is a bit of a shock since I was on birth control this whole time and have never intended to have a baby. But the house is suddenly alive again, and the spirits are given the chance to move on. 

Not all of them choose to leave: Nora stays to be with her child properly, the twins want to stay to cause more mischief, and there are a couple of ghosts who just aren’t ready for whatever comes next, but a great majority move on. 

And then there is Tate. 

For a while, I think he might have left without saying goodbye: I don’t see him anywhere, and I grieve for him with the others, but I’m still hopeful. Eventually, he comes to me, and we can finally talk honestly. It’s a long discussion, but Tate decides to stay, at least for a while. And I love him, as he is. It will take a long time for him to believe it, but I’m willing to put in the work. I can remodel the house, I can keep the gardens, I can raise my child, and I can love Tate unconditionally. 

In the years to come, Thaddeus will grow, and the remaining spirits will move on, but as long as they are in the house, I will love them, and when the time comes to let go, I will continue to love them, wherever they are. 

[glow-in-the-dark-death]

A Week (He Will Take You)

~

Danny moved to Gotham for school, while there he noticed that Gotham's ambient ecto was really murky for lack of a better word.

This didn't really affect him too much besides a mild headache every once in a while but that also just might be stress from all his school work so maybe not.

Anyway

This murky ecto seemed to effect the people who lived there or more importantly the ghosts,

They were visible to the human eye like most ghosts back in Amity but instead of looking very much like a ghost they still looked like humans if a bit off putting.

They all seemed to be continuing their normal lives as if still fully alive, with the people around them none the wiser.

Danny noticed this and began approaching them to figure out what was going on.

Apparently the murky ecto in the city had made it so that they were strong enough to still continue a somewhat normal life but not be able to cross over to the GZ.

In other words they were stuck in Gotham

Danny was the Ghost King so he could easily fix this problem, all he needed to do was give them a bit of pure ecto for around a week to fully stabilize them them then he would just open a portal into the GZ and they could cross over with all their things also transferring into the GZ for their new haunt.

Unfortunately this looked rather worrying to an outsider,

Imagine you're used to your neighbor being very outgoing so you and others see them a lot suddenly this man seems to appear in their life out of nowhere an at exactly one week, your neighbor and all their belongings in their home disappear no trace to be found.

You tell people and they begin saying the same story they knew someone and them a man with black hair and blue eyes appeared in their life, then they and all their things disappear in exactly one week.

Of course the police in Gotham do the bare minimum so they're no help.

But it starts to begin a trend, especially online.

"Oh careful or the blue eyed man will make you disappear in a week"

This of course after time catches the bats attention, Gordon had already given them all the information he had.

"Young adult early twenties, dark hair, blue eyes"

That was it.

The bats look into it and from their point of view Danny is a serial killer.

But they can't find the connection between all of his victims, they range from young children and the elderly from different backgrounds absolutely no connection,

Worrying enough he doesn't just make one person disappear he has taken entire families up to over a dozen, without anyone figuring out how he's doing it or why at all.

The disturbing thing also being that he seems to take everything in their home, leaving it like it has always been empty

Like no one had been living in it.

People have tried to take photos of Danny get some kind of evidence of his existence, but when they try to do it, it either comes out completely corrupted or their devise simply shuts down fully.

Danny of course has no clue what is happening he's just happy that he's able to help so many ghosts, and is trying not to fail his exams.

~

Danny leaving the house he just helped: "That went easier than I expected!"

Neighbor peeking from the window: "Shit it's that guy! "

~

Red Hood marching down into the cave: " The fucker took many from my territory without me even realizing it!"

~

Tim: "I'm pretty sure his kill count is nearing the hundreds and he just started like maybe 4 months ago, this is bad."

Barbara: " I think I got a theory, this matches up with the new school year beginning so maybe their not a Gotham native which narrows down my suspect list."

Bruce: "Hn."

Tim: "Yes thank you B for the insightful commentary"

~

Danny trying not to fall asleep while on his way to class: "Strange I keep seeing shadows following me, oh well must be the stress!"

Bats who are pretty sure Danny is the killer: "Has he done anything suspicious yet?"

~

Just an Idea

[lionlena]

Dancing With Your Ghost (JavierPeñaxreader) Epilogue

A/N:

Ok, so that's the end of this story. I started writing it almost 7 months ago, not really knowing where it would lead me and having the idea until chapter 6… Along the way, I abandoned this story for Joel… But sooner or later, my heart always missed Javi 🥺 I would like to thank you all for your comments and likes. Everyone who read this series enjoyed it. I hope you'll be happy with the ending🥰

Epilogue

Since Javier found out you were pregnant, theoretically nothing has changed. He still loved you madly, he still cared for you, you still spent magical Sundays, and he still worked hard on building the house.

On the other hand, everything has changed. Javier worked even harder and at the same time spent every free moment with you. Even if it meant driving half an hour into town just to spend twenty minutes of your lunch break with you, he did it. And of course, he couldn't keep his hands off you. And he fulfilled all your desires without blinking an eye, including sexual ones. You suddenly discovered that pregnant women can be very horny, but that was no problem for Javier. If he had to, he would fall on his knees in front of you every evening and listen to your moans with pleasure.

You also noticed that the bigger your belly was, the prouder Javier was. When you were walking through the city streets or sitting in a restaurant, he would always put his hand on your belly and look around with a cocky smile as if to say, 'Look this is my work. Thanks to me, her belly is swelling.'

It made you laugh, but at the same time, you didn't want to take away his joy. After all, he deserved it for what a wonderful man he was to you, for supporting you every step of the way and going with you to all your doctor's appointments. Thanks to this, you felt confident and your fears about your child's health decreased significantly. Everything was going perfectly.

When you were seven months pregnant, the construction of your house was officially completed. With a wide smile, Javier led you into your beautiful living room. And even though you had been there many times before, somehow knowing that everything was over filled you with delight and you looked at everything as if you were seeing it for the first time.

"Everything is amazing." You said with emotion in your voice.

Javier kissed you passionately while tenderly stroking your belly.

"It's all for you, my little ghost, and for our baby."

Then suddenly Javier knelt down on one knee in front of you and pulled out a small box from his pocket that contained an engagement ring. You were speechless at that moment.

"Y/N, you are the most wonderful person I have ever met in my life. You taught me that love is more than a physical connection, it is a connection of souls. You gave me peace and warmth that warms my heart. Please be my wife. Be Mrs. Peña. Let's have a little wedding next week."

You looked at him in shock and quickly said, "No."

Javier looked at you surprised, maybe even sad. "No?" he repeated quietly.

Seeing the fear in his eyes, you knew you had to fix the situation quickly. "No... I mean yes, but no."

This didn't help at all. Javier was still kneeling in front of you, now on both knees and tilted his head to the side, looking at you with those puppy dog eyes. "Yes, but no?" He asked confused.

You took a deep breath and gently stroked his hair. "I want to marry you." You said calmly, and the sadness instantly disappeared from his face. "But not next week."

Javier smiled coquettishly. "What are you doing next week?"

You huffed and pointed to your belly. "I'm carrying your baby, in a week, in two... basically for the next two months."

He laughed softly and kissed your belly sweetly. "And? I still don't see the problem. One little extra guest isn't a problem."

You groaned in annoyance. "Javi, I don't want to get married with a huge belly... I don't want to be ugly and fat in my wedding photos."

Javier immediately tightened his grip around your waist, gently squeezing your ass and still kissing your belly.

"Mi amor, hermosa, cariño, how can you say such terrible things about my future wife? You are beautiful, the most wonderful, and I can't wait to see that beautiful belly in a white dress... Oh, believe me... This makes me get hard..."

You gasped in surprise as his hands squeezed your ass tighter.

"Javier..."

"I'm telling the truth." He kissed your stomach and looked down at you. "But I will understand and respect any decision you make. We can even have a big wedding next year if you want."

And suddenly, as usual, all your fears disappeared.

"Actually…" You started quietly. "You're right. I want a small, modest wedding and I want our baby to be born with your surname."

Javier smiled widely and gently placed the ring on your finger. Then he stood up and looked at you with eyes shining with joy.

“Y/N, I dreamed of this moment.”

He cupped your face in his hands and kissed you, but it was a different kiss. It wasn't a passionate, hot kiss... Or hungry or longing... It was something completely different. It was a kiss filled with love and gratitude. Your heart was beating like crazy and suddenly you felt your baby move. You placed Javier's hand on your pregnant belly and he chuckled.

"Someone here is as excited as Daddy." You purred against his lips and he kissed you lovingly once again.

A week later, you and Javier were married in the meadow behind your house. You were wearing a plain white dress that fit your pregnant belly really nicely. You wore a wreath of white flowers on your head. It was surprising, but you felt like a princess. Everything seemed wonderful and so peaceful. You said 'yes' surrounded by your loved ones and friends, and then you all had fun together until late.

That night, Javier took you to your bedroom and made love to you in such a gentle and caring way as he had never done before. And he wasn't just doing it because of your pregnancy. He really wanted to prove to you that he will be the best husband in the world.

Two months later, after almost ten hours of labor, your son, José Peña, was born. You were tired after giving birth, but happy as you held your healthy baby in your arms. And for the first time, you saw former DEA agent Javier Peña cry like a little baby. When he took your newborn son for the first time and looked at this little miracle created with his help, so tiny that he could hold José with one hand, he just cried. And he wasn't even ashamed of it. He hugged his son to his chest and kissed his little head, whispering sweet words. It was a sight that melted your heart and you were sure that Javi would be the best dad in the world.

...

You woke up one night and Javier wasn't next to you. You felt anxious for a moment but quickly calmed down. You started listening to see if José was crying, but you didn't hear anything. Still, you decided to get up and look into his crib. However, your son and husband were nowhere to be found. Your heart started beating a little faster. Common sense told you that nothing had happened. Maybe José couldn't sleep, and Javier took him for a short car ride. It was something that quickly calmed your three-month-old baby. But Javi never did it alone. You quickly went out of the house to the terrace to check if there was a car outside and that's when you saw them.

Javier sat on a rocking bench with his son safely placed in his strong arms. For a moment, you wanted to be angry at him and tell him that he shouldn't scare you like that, but... It was such a sweet and adorable sight that it melted your heart.

However, you noticed that something was bothering Javier. He didn't take his eyes off his son's sleeping face. You carefully sat down on the bench next to him and touched his arm.

"Mi amor? What happened? José couldn't sleep?"

Javi still didn't take his eyes off the baby. He gently touched his son's chubby cheek with his finger.

"He was crying, but as soon as I changed his diaper he fell asleep, but I... I couldn't put him down in the cradle..."

You smiled and nodded. You knew this feeling very well. You yourself have held your baby in your arms many times after he fell asleep. However, Javier's next words surprised you.

"I felt a sudden fear. I was afraid to put him down... I was afraid that as soon as I let him out of my arms, something bad would happen to him."

You sighed and gently stroked his cheek.

"Javi, what's going on?"

Javier finally looked away from his son and looked at you. He smiled sadly.

"I don't know, cariño... The cocky, arrogant, and malicious DEA agent suddenly became soft and scared."

You giggled quietly. "You're still cocky and devilishly handsome."

Your comment made Javier laugh softly. You always knew how to cheer him up. He carefully placed your son on his chest, holding him with only one arm. So that he can wrap his free hand around you and pull you to his side. He kissed your forehead and whispered:

"I wonder if I've made the world a safer place for our son. Catching Escobar, and taking down the Cali Cartel, does it all matter? The world is still dangerous. Maybe retiring was a mistake. There are so many things that could hurt him. So many bad things, bad people. Now he's still tiny... For now, I can really wrap my arms around him and protect him, but then what...

You smiled at him understandingly. Javier always had a tendency to get lost in thought. Often unnecessary.

"Javi, darling. The world is dangerous, and we are not able to protect our baby from everything. This is the pain and fear of all parents. In a few months, our son will start walking and he will surely trip over a stone more than once. You want to remove all the stones from the area?"

Javi looked at you with determination. "If necessary."

You rolled your eyes.

"You know it's impossible, but you know what is possible? Our comfort. We will wipe his tears, bandage his hurt knee, and assure him that we are with him. And this is how we will keep him safe. At every stage of his life we will love him and accept him and thanks to this, he will know that he can always come to us and ask us for help.

Javier looked at you with eyes full of boundless love.

"You are very smart, hermosa."

You giggled quietly. "I learned a thing or two about life by being a ghost."

Javier laughed softly. Then he kissed you on the forehead and then your son. He looked at you with those puppy eyes of his.

"Can we sit here for a while? I don't want to put him in the crib just yet."

You nodded and snuggled into his warm, strong body. You looked at your son's calm face and realized that he felt exactly the same as you. That Javier Peña would do literally anything, even burn down the entire world, to keep you safe, happy, and loved. You closed your eyes and whispered, "We can stay here until morning."

You felt Javier hug you tighter and rest his chin on your head. You no longer needed words. Everything was perfect, right in that moment, when he held in his arms the two people he loved and needed most in the world.

...

Six years later, you still felt the same peace and security when you were in your husband's arms. You've had harder times, but you've always been in this together. You didn't hide anything from each other, you didn't fight each other. You loved each other.

Your son was healthy and growing quickly. From a baby, he became a small, charming boy who loved life. He was cute and feisty like his Daddy, but he was also calm like you... And he wasn't the only one.

Four years after your wedding, your little girl, Maya Peña, was born. And if you thought José was like his dad, then... Your little girl looked like a little copy of her daddy. Her eyes were identical.

And currently, she was looking at you with those sweet brown puppy eyes that were tearful and very tired. She put her thumb in her mouth and hiccuped. Her cheeks were red and the hairs on her forehead were wet.

"Oh my little one, you really need a nap."

"Papi…" She whined indistinctly and you already knew you had no choice.

You've been trying to put her down for a nap for the past forty minutes, but she's only gotten more grumpy and cranky. There was no other option. You must have to used a secret weapon. You took her in your arms and left the house, heading towards the horse paddock.

Your son was just sitting on a little white pony and looked very happy. His grandfather Chucho held the reins and Javi secured his son, but you knew that your little boy could handle it even on his own. So you walked up to the fence and waved your hand. Javi immediately said something to his son. You could only guess that he was asking him to hold on tight and be careful.

When he got closer to you and your daughter, he immediately noticed what the problem was and without asking, he reached out his hands, taking Maya away from you. His two-year-old daughter immediately snuggled into his chest and let out a few grumpy purrs. Javi chuckled and kissed her head.

"Someone here is tired but doesn't want to go to sleep?" He asked, knowing the answer perfectly well. "It's okay. Daddy can handle it."

He smiled at you and kissed your forehead, whispering. "I love you."

You smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Even after all these years, he still took every opportunity to make sure you knew how much he loved you.

"I'll go to José." You said and kissed your daughter on the head before Javier took her towards the house.

When your son saw you, he smiled broadly. Chucho gave you a friendly smile too.

"Is everything okay with the little princess?" he asked with concern.

You immediately felt your heart melt. Your children not only had a wonderful, loving, and caring father, but also a wonderful grandfather who always spoiled them and cared for them.

You nodded and moved closer to your son, placing your hand on his back.

"Yes, the heat today is just bothering her. But I'm sure Javier's magic will work on her and she'll be asleep soon."

Your son giggled (in the same way as his daddy) and asked, "Papi can do magic?"

You smiled widely and touched his sweet cheek.

"Yes, it always puts you and your little sister to sleep in minutes."

Your son eagerly nodded and added: "And he can turn ghosts into people!"

You laughed. This was your son's favorite story. Of course, Javier told your story in the form of a fairy tale, omitting the tragic moments and changing a few things. And of course, only you and Javi knew that it wasn't just a made-up story at all.

Half an hour later, your son finished riding the pony and, together with his grandfather, took the pony to the meadow so that the animal could enjoy the fresh grass and rest.

You came back home, quietly entered the living room and your heart beat faster.

Javier lay on the couch and slept with his baby girl, who was dozing comfortably on his broad chest. You saw them both calm and finally resting. You looked at them, enchanted, for a moment. Then you went to the kitchen and started preparing lemonade. You were sure that soon your son and his grandfather would come home, and then your daughter and Javi would wake up. And you all need a sip of refreshing, cool lemonade. Soon your quiet home will once again be filled with the joyful screams of children and the laughter of their father. And as always, Javier will grab your hips whenever he gets the chance, kiss your neck and whisper some dirty words in your ear, because some things never change.

And your love for the man who danced with your ghost will never change.

...

MASTERLIST

Part I

Part XII

Taglist: @aestheticangel612 , @kittenlittle24 , @hxpburn76 , @creedslove , @ranahx , @yyiikes , @fuglyputa24 , @picketniffler

[heich0e]

"What if he's ghosting me?"

Kenma snorts, not even deigning to answer your question with any further response. His attention stays fixed to the screen of his switch as he taps away at the controls, intermittent chimes of triumph ringing through the spacious living room of the house he bought himself at only twenty three.

"Kenma, I'm serious," you whine, flopping across the seat of the couch behind where he sits huddled at the kotatsu. "I really liked this one."

"You really like every guy you go out with," he replies, thumbs still flicking against the device. "Until you decide they're too loud, or too quiet, or talk too much about their jobs, or don't talk about themselves enough, or they're too short, or too tall--"

"He was 197 centimetres! That's abnormal!" you interject to defend yourself, knowing exactly which previous fling Kenma is referring to even without naming him.

Kenma sets his console down with a sigh, glancing at you over his shoulder. His hair is falling into his eyes, still damp from the shower he'd taken just before your arrival.

"You look for reasons to break up with them.”

The two of you stay locked in prolonged eye contact for longer than is needed.

"Want me to comb your hair for you?" you ask quietly, avoiding his accusation.

Kenma's brow quirks but then he nods, and you quickly pull yourself upright on the sofa so he can settle back between your legs, handing you the comb that has been waiting for your attention on the table in front of him for as long as the two of you had been sitting together.

You work quietly to undo the tangles in Kenma's hair as he once more resumes his game, being mindful of the ends where his hair is bleached and more delicate. You always do this with Kenma, though you’re unsure just when the tradition started. It was probably back in high school when his hair was fried from the boxed bleach he’d dumped into it, and you had to beg him to let you put a hair mask on his brittle strands. But now it’s just become a familiar, comfortable routine for you to slot yourself behind him and work through his hair with a wide-toothed comb, and Kenma doesn't so much as wince as you go about combing his hair into a neat, slicked back style.

"I just wish I had some way of knowing what I did wrong," you murmur quietly, returning to the topic that has been eating away at you, dragging the comb back from his temple.

"Did you two hook up?" Kenma asks blankly, and you watch as he clears a level on whatever game he's playing.

He doesn't click ahead to start the next level, waiting for your response.

"A bit," you admit reluctantly, swallowing hard over the knot of trepidation that has wound itself into your throat.

"What, so you sucked him off and now you're insecure because he hasn't called you?" Kenma peers at you over his shoulder forcing your hands to withdraw slightly, resting against his nape.

"Kenma!" you shriek in response to his question, reaching forward and forcibly turning his head away from you again if only to hide the mortified look on your face. You're shocked by his blunt question as though you haven't known him for the better part of a decade.

Kenma snorts. ”If it helps: when you gave Kuroo head in high school, he said it was great."

You curl forward miserably, your forehead pressing into the divot between Kenma's shoulder blades--flustered and horrified all at once.

"We were teenagers and I was the first person to ever put his dick in my mouth; of course he thought it was great," you mumble into Kenma's back, gripping the soft material of his sweatshirt between your fingers. "What if my skills haven't improved, Ken? What if I'm only giving mediocre high school quality blowjobs?"

He laughs.

"I highly doubt that."

Suddenly an idea comes to you. One that you wouldn't consider plausible with any other person on earth save for the boy whose hair you just combed. The boy whose front door passcode you have memorized as certainly as your own.

"Would you tell me if I did?" you say quietly, your hands slowly unfurling from the tight fists you have curled into his hoodie so they rest flat against the planes of his shoulders.

Kenma freezes.

He still hasn't hit play on that next level.

[iam93percentstardust]

Omg the ghost thing? Amazing, I need more immediately!! 🤲❤️

Oof same. Here's what I imagine happening next:

Steve does his very best to ignore the ghost. There's no such thing as ghosts, there isn't one jabbering away in his ear, and there's nothing going on here except a hallucination caused by faulty carbon monoxide detectors.

Tony does not appreciate this and chatters at him louder, insisting that Steve has to take the model of the robotic arm thing on the dresser home with him. Steve eventually stuffs it in his pockets to make him shut up about it. It's probably his subconscious telling him there's something off about it and he needs to remove it from the environment, like lead poisoning or whatever.

Killian continues to be creepy when Steve leaves (Tony, thankfully, disappeared when Steve left the bedroom), asking him if he saw or felt anything when he was in there and looking very disappointed when Steve insists he saw nothing. Steve informs him he needs to vacate the house until he gets the carbon monoxide detectors repaired and the leak fixed.

Killian gets weirdly excited about the request and Steve has to spend twenty minutes convincing him that no, there are no ghosts, he's not hiding anything by insisting it's carbon monoxide, you really do have to leave the house sir if you don't want to die in your sleep.

Sometimes, he really hates his job.

Eventually he makes it home, completely forgetting all about the robot model in his jacket pocket until he wanders out of his bedroom at 3 am the next day because some dying cat is yowling at the top of its lungs outside his door and promptly discovers that the dying cat is Tony, singing loudly because he wants attention.

"No," he insists, pointing at Tony. "This isn't real. You're not real."

"Rude!" Tony exclaims, eyeing his bare chest.

"I'm going back to bed." Steve says. Tony opens his mouth. "You're not coming with me." Tony closes it again.

[dp-marvel94]

(Not) Alone - Chapter 9

Summary: Consumed with worry and scared after watching Dani almost die, Danny begs her to come home with him and meet Jazz. He wants to see her safe and happy and taken care of more than anything. An important reveal also weighs heavy on him – Dani isn’t the only living clone… and the other is him. He needs to tell her the truth; maybe that will convince her to agree to the idea of telling his parents. And she'll stay in Amity Park with him, where he'll never have to worry if she's safe ever again.

Meanwhile, Dani has mixed feelings. Still reeling from the loss of her clone siblings, Danny’s unexpected worry and care make her uncomfortable. And her own guilt… she hurt him and helped get him kidnapped twice. How can he care about a mistake like her? But having clean clothes and a bed is wonderful. And things aren’t as simple as she thinks.

Will Dani accept the help she needs and let herself be loved? Or will she push Danny and Jazz away and run again?

Word Count: 5,019

First-> Previous

Also on AO3 and Fanfiction.net

Note: Finally, I'm back to posting this story! I got way behind for a bit there. I was very busy writing my Ecto-Implosion story - a Lost Time Mer AU featuring a very ethereal Clockwork and a very conflicted Danny; it is posted now so go check it out if you haven't! Then there was Thanksgiving and preparing for Christmas. And my sister and I are buying a house! We close on January 5th. So yeah, a lot of excited things going on. Enjoy the second to last chapter of this story!

The time before dinner consisted of a tour of the Far Frozen, given by Frostbite. They visited the library, the hall of murals, the artifact vault (including sneaking a peek at the Infini-map!). The stadium, the ice practice rooms, the guard’s training field. There was a hanger for the hovercrafts. An engineering workshop where an adolescent yeti apprentice was helping an adult with a hovercraft repair. 

They passed classrooms, the excited voices of an in-class literature debate perking Dani’s ears. The girl peered through the glass window in the door, curious eyes fixing on the small group of students. One of the young yeti’s gaze met hers, the other ghost grinning toothily and waving. Blinking in surprise, the girl waved back.

“Come, you must see the ice garden!” Frostbite hurried the group through the hall. 

“Wow.” The clone girl breathed. “It’s so pretty!”

Trees, flowers, even individual blades of grass sparkled in the light, despite the cloudy sky. Dani darted behind one of the towering trees, thick trunked with heart-shaped leaves. 

“It’s almost clear!” She giggled, looking at her brother through the trunk. “You look ridiculous!” Flickers of his ghost form – white, black, and green – warped through the ice.

“Oh yeah?!” He flew forward, making funny faces at her through the other side of the trunk. “You’re the one who looks ridiculous.”

“But you look more ridiculous-er!” She laughed more, sticking her tongue out at him. “Like one of those fun house mirrors!”

The two played for a while, poking fun at each other. Then…. The ice drakes!

“They’re so cute!” Dani cooed, eyes round. 

Jazz looked at the creatures. Part wingless dragon, part slinky lizard, they were twenty feet long, with sharp claws, sharp teeth, and blue-silver scales. She side-eyed her sister skeptically. “Cute?” 

One of the drakes, a juvenile all of five feet long, stuck out its tongue and licked its eye. 

“Just look at him.” Dani gave her best puppy dog eyes. “And look!” She pointed to a disturbed area in the snow, sky blue splotches and small silver bodies standing out against the white powder. “Babies!”

“Ah, the hatchlings have arrived.” Frostbite said warmly. He walked towards the nest, gently brushing snow away. With one hand, he waved to the two girls. “Would you like to hold one, Dani with an i?”

Dani beamed. “Yes! Yes! Yes!” Excitedly, she held out her hands.

“Hold her like this.” Frostbite demonstrated. “Close to your body.”

The younger girl nodded eagerly. Gently, she took the hatchling, which let out a squeak. “It’s okay. I’ve got you.”

Soon enough, the baby lizard relaxed, head resting on Dani’s upper arm, paws curled up against her chest, and tail wrapped around her other arm.

The clone girl cooed. “Yes, you are so cute. Yes, you are.”

Jazz watched over Dani’s shoulder, brow still furrowed skeptically.

Half ghost and hatchling stayed like that for a while, just looking at each other. But after a few minutes, the young drake grew restless. She squirmed in the hold, eyes darting to and then fixing on the human’s red hair. She chirped curiously, head lifting. The hatching half-wrestled out off, was half-released from Dani’s arms. She scrambled up Dani’s jumpsuit, onto her shoulder, and leapt onto Jazz’s.

“Hey!” The older teen protested, to laughs from her younger siblings.

The nosy drake investigated, sniffing, batting at, and chewing on the hair.

“That isn’t food!” Jazz complained.

At the same time, the hatchling spit out the mouthful rather spectacularly, having realized it in fact wasn’t edible. Still, she investigated Jazz’s hair and clothing, eventually wrapping herself around the red-head’s shoulders like a second scaly scarf. Innocent blue eyes blinked up at the human.

Jazz sighed. “Alright. I guess you are a little cute.”

“Yes!” Dani cheered. “Told you!”

The older sister rolled her eyes. 

After that, Danny took a turn holding one of the hatchlings. A few more minutes of cooing at the smaller drakes and coaxing the adults into pettings and….

“Can we go back inside? It’s getting colder.” The red-head shivered, frowning up at the sky. “Actually, we should probably leave soon.”

“Yes. Of course.” The chief nodded sagely. “Some food first, very quickly before your journey home. There is still plenty of time yet, before the weather turns.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Actually, there was not plenty of time before the weather turned.

Danny frowned out the window, clutching another mug of hot chocolate. Outside the wind blew fiercely, the atmosphere completely white with the driving snow.

“My apologies, Danny.” Frostbite said surprisingly softly, a hand on the half ghost’s shoulder. “The storm blew in much quicker than anticipated. I should have hastened your departure.”

“It’s okay.” The half ghost looked up at his mentor. “How long do you think it’ll last?”

“A blizzard which arrived this quickly…” The yeti hummed thoughtfully. “Those storms like this are intense but they are short lived. Less than a day, surely. Perhaps eighteen hours.”

“So we’ll have to spend the night.” The boy bit his lip.

“It seems so.” Frostbite patted his back. “Come. We will prepare a feast for all. And a dance! Music and games will surely lift you and your siblings’ spirits!”

The corner of Danny’s lip turned up. “Alright. Let’s go.” With the chief’s enthusiasm, there was no way he could stay so somber. 

The feast was amazing. Five courses. Ice kelp salad, with Caesar dressing straight from the Acropolis. Cave mushroom soup, topped with mammoth cheese and spices. An appetizer of garlic bread- a staple anywhere in the Infinite Realms. Giant Bison steaks with neon-colored fingerling potatoes. And for dessert…

Dani poked the shiny yet opaque, gelatinous slab with her knife. “What is this?”

It wiggled unappealingly and yet, Danny’s mouth watered. “Aojngofls.” He answered, grinning.

“What?”

“Aojngofls.” The boy repeated, to his little sister’s continued confusion. “That’s the yeti word for it. Have no idea what it’d be in English.”

“Okay? But…” Dani still eyed the desert skeptically. “What is it?”

“It’s some kind of pudding, I think. The consistency is kinda like flan but there’s nuts and fruit and stuff inside.” The boy greedily grabbed a spoonful, stuffing it in his mouth with abandon. “ ‘s so goof.” He gushed.

The young girl sniffed her portion, giving at another poke. “Why’s it shiny though?”

Danny swallowed his bite. “Ground up Ice Drake scales.”

At that, Dani pushed the plate away violently, a look of betrayal on her face. “No! How could they?”

“The drakes naturally shed their scales and the yeti’s collect them.” The boy soothed. “No drakes were harmed in the making of this dessert.”

“If that’s true….” His younger sister still wrinkled her nose, off-put. But hesitantly, she took a bite.

Danny leaned forward, eyes wide and eager for her reaction. “Well?”

Several emotions flashed across her face in quick succession, disgust turning to surprise and then relief. She swallowed. “It’s… actually good?”

“Yes!” The older half ghost fist pumped, laughing as the younger quickly started on her own piece with abandon. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“We have most exquisite merriment for your enjoyment, Great One and Kin!” Frostbite practically dragged Danny and his sisters to the dance hall, so great was his enthusiasm. 

The chief flung the doors open, the sound suddenly swelling. Drums banged, pounded. String instruments strummed and shredded, some high and quivering, others low and droning. The winds trilled and rumbled, like songbirds fluttering in the trees and the distant peals of thunder. It was a cacophony, the sounds weaving together in purposeful chaos. 

Around the room, yetis stomped, clapped, danced. And Danny found himself pulled into the spiral of bodies. Jazz, her red-hair vibrant amongst the white fur, spun away from him. She danced beside Snowflake, movements at first awkward and unsure but quickly becoming exuberant and ridiculous. And Dani…

The shout barely carried over the crowd but it tickled Danny’s ear all the same. “Come dance with us!” 

One of the younger yeti’s took hold of his sister’s hand, pulling her to join the other kids. Dani followed, smiling and then laughing, soon twirling as absurd and excited as their other sister was.

And Danny danced too. Legs jumping, arms flailing, feet pounding, head bobbing. His heart pounded, in time with the music. And the very air around him…. The excitement of the other ghosts, delighted to just be alive, together. His sisters, here and safe and happy. Jazz, her eyes bright and shoulders held high, without the worry she always wore like a heavy weight. And Danielle…. Twirling and laughing with the other kids, grinning like she’d never smiled in her life.

The older half ghost’s core buzzed, light with its happiness, with the warmth of its love overflowing. He laughed, taken by the sheer joy. 

Danny danced for some unknowable amount of time after, catching the occasional glimpses of Jazz’s teal jacket or Dani’s midnight black suit. The words, unknown to his ears, and the music, foreign in arrangement but familiar in emotion, flowed around, in, and through him. His hair raised with chills, moved by the shaking drone of the strings, by the long, soulfully sung notes. And his body moved along, joining the song. No, not just his body. It was deeper. The feeling vibrated down, passed his blood and ectoplasm. Down, into his core, the center of himself. He danced, not just with his body but with his very soul.

Eventually though, the music slowed, a profound tranquility over taking the room. The dancer also slowed, many of them pairing up. 

Danny stilled with a soft smile on his face as he pulled himself out of the crowd. He meandered to the edge of the room, eyes set on a table of refreshments. The boy picked up a cup of slightly glowing punch. Turning back, his gaze flickered over the gathering, searching for…

Ah, there. His heart squeezed, pleasantly warm. There was Danielle. 

He raised the glass to his lips, taking a sip as he watched. His little sister still lingered in the middle of a crowd of younger yetis, though the group had drifted away from the dance floor. They huddled in a corner, a few adolescents giggling to each other about something. And… Dani sat in the air cross-legged, one of the cubs curiously running claws through her hair. A slightly older kid gently swatted away the paw, leaned forward to mutter something in Dani’s ear. The half ghost nodded, eyes lighting up in delighted surprise. The young yeti started braiding the shining white locks.

“Danielle looks really happy.” Jazz’s voice broke his attention from the scene. 

Danny blinked, for a moment surprised, but then dismissing her sudden appearance… “Yeah, she does.” He smiled, contented eyes back on his little sister.

His older sister smiled too, just as happy. “I don’t think she’s been this happy the entire week. Bringing her here was a great idea.”

The boy nodded. It was true enough. Despite the slight bumps of the check up and the unexpected snowstorm, Dani looked about the happiest he’d ever seen her. 

Across the room, the braiding finished up, the paws removed from Dani’s hair. The girl experimentally shook her head, the ends hitting her cheeks. Her mouth opened, laughter audible in the lines of her face despite the loud music.

“Aw. Look at that. She’s already making friends.” Jazz cooed.

In other circumstances, Danny might have scoffed at the mushy comment. But now, his heart was too full of relief and joy to hold any cynicism. “Yeah, she is.”

Neither sibling spoke for a long moment, just watching Dani talk and play with the other kids. Soon, the song ended, another fast one starting up.

Danny stepped towards the crowd. “Ready to get back at it?”

Jazz took a sip of her own punch. “I still need to catch my breath. I can barely keep up.” She chuckled. “These guys are more rambunctious than Aunt Alicia’s neighbors at a barn dance.”

The boy laughed at the unexpected comparison. “Oh my g-d, that’s what this was reminding me off.” 

Just then, Frostbite’s booming laugh cut above the music, his energetic kick nearly knocking down his dance partner. The yetis were just as exuberant as any country folk.

“Do you remember that time Alicia’s neighbor's kid let all the chickens out during the dance?” Jazz asked with a snort.

“Of course.” Danny snorted himself. “They were all line dancing,” Hands on his hips, he kicked each leg and then clapped and turned with a jump. “to Cotton-Eyed Joe. And those stupid chickens...” He landed, leaning forward slightly, and moving his head back and forth in a very poultry-like manner. “Those stupid chickens were trying their best to become footballs!” 

“Old Man Roberts kicked one and it sounded…” A laugh broke through the words. “it sounded like a freaking rubber chicken! Like…” The sad chicken noise Jazz then made….

The boy nearly doubled over laughing. “That’s the most pa..pathetic chicken noise…I’ve… I’ve ever… heard.” He gasped, diaphragm flipping with the sound.

“But that’s what it sounded like!” His sister argued.

“Like.. Like?” Danny tried to make his own rubber chicken noise but broke down in giggles.

A second of the red-head’s nose wrinkling, trying to hold but the sound and… hands on her knees, she cackled too. The two laughed for a long while, just the two of them and that memory.

Eventually, Danny caught his breath. Wiping his eyes… “Man, those barn dances at Alicia’s were the best.”

“Yeah, they’re always a good laugh.” Jazz chuckled, again. “The only thing funnier than those chickens is Dad trying to dance to Party in the USA.”

Danny laughed again, just picturing it. Jack Fenton, in all his uncoordinated orange-flanneled glory, stomping and jumping completely out of time. 

He shook his head, grinning. “I wonder if Mom and Dad managed to catch a dance on their trip.” But as soon as the words passed from his lips...“Their trip.” His face fell, a chill anxiety suddenly dousing the previous joviality. “They’ll be back tomorrow night.”

His older sister stood up straighter, also sobering. “That’s right.”

Danny’s hand frantically ran through his hair. “I still need to talk to Dani about that.”

The red-head raised a brow. “You didn’t talk to her last night?”

Danny shook his head. “With everything else we talked about…” He bit his lip. “I couldn’t bring it up, not when she was already so upset.” 

Jazz stepped towards him, nodding understandingly. “That’s okay. We can bring it up later, after the dance.”

His eyes darted back to Dani and the younger yetis. They were playing some kind of game, one yeti blindfolded in the middle with the others surrounding in a circle. His younger sister’s eyes sparkled, a hand over her mouth trying to hold back laughter.

His heart squeezed. “But she’s so happy. She’s happy and making friends. And she finally called me Danny again.” Such relief that statement brought… she was comfortable with him, all of him. “And we just had to talk about our brothers last night and that was hard enough.” It was painful, just remembering her crying, clinging to him like he’d disappear too if she let go. “But this… how can I do that to her again?”

Jazz glared, suddenly serious, as she pulled him farther away from the crowd and in front of some chairs huddled against the wall. “We still have to have this conversation with her, Danny.” Voice low but harsh, the red-head crossed her arms. “We can’t just let her run off to Ancients knows where.”

“Of course not.” The boy almost hissed, eyes narrowed in offense. “I barely want to let her out of my sight. I’d rather died than let her F-off into the sunset again. I want her at home with us. But…” He slumped into the chair, anger suddenly doused. “She doesn’t even want to meet Mom and Dad. I know she doesn’t.” His head dropped into his hands. “She shuts down any time they’re even kinda mentioned. I barely convinced her to meet you in the first place. You know how hard it was to convince her to let us buy her clothes, let alone anything else.” Her furious words, that first morning…. She didn’t think she needed or deserved help. She was trying to fight that thinking, he knew, from their conversation last night. But did that still linger below the surface? And…

“Jazz.” His voice lowered, shoulders curling in on themselves. “I… I’m scared. I want Danielle safe and happy so damn bad. So bad. But…I’m… I’m terrified that I’ll push her and she’ll run. She’ll leave without a word again. And I can’t… I can’t. I can’t go back to not knowing if she’s safe or okay or even if… even if…” His breath caught, voice choked.

“Oh, Danny.” The chair beside him creaked slightly, Jazz sitting. “It’s okay to be scared.” Her arm wrapped around his shoulders. “I… I’m scared too.” At that, he looked up, brow wrinkling as his older sister continued. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know if Dani is going to surprise us and say yes. Or if she will freak out and run. Or any number of things could happen. I can’t make her say yes like I, like both of us want.”

Each word was a stab to his core, driving that desperate fear and sorrow deeper and deeper. If even Jazz had these fears, then how… how….

“But.” The strong conjunction drew Danny out of his growing despair. “Whether or not she stays with us is Danielle’s choice. We won’t know until we asks. There’s no reason to catastrophize yet. And…” Her face softened, kind eyes fixed on him. “I don’t know her as well as you do. But I know Dani loves you. She trusts you. She wouldn’t leave you without a word and hurt you like that. And besides…” Her eyes flickered toward the crowd of yetis. “Maybe staying in Amity Park with us or running off on her own aren’t Dani’s only two options.”

 Danny’s gaze followed, fixing on Dani… playing with her new friends. He blinked once, the idea rolling over him. Something in his core loosened, a hint of hope brightening his face. 

The boy sat up. “I need to talk to Frostbite.”

Jazz smiled, squeezing his shoulder. “Go on then.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“My turn! My turn!” Dani cheered, moving to the center of the circle.

Her core buzzed with excitement. This was the best day ever! The tour, the feast, the dance. New friends! GlacierPaw asked her to dance. WinterHill braided her hair. And now Icicle was tying the blind-fold around her eyes. 

“Now we’ll count to ten while you spin in a circle. You want to find and tag whoever had the ice-shaker.” The yeti girl stepped back, and the sound of counting started.

Dani spun, head quickly growing dizzy. Then she wobbled forward, chasing the sound of crinkling ice. It shifted… there! 

“I’ve got you!” The half ghost flailed for the target.

“It’s not me!” The other child laughed.

The sound of shaking again. Dani chased, still woozy on her feet. Another miss, this one near. And…

“Ha! There!” She grabbed the shaker, pulling off the blind-fold.

GlacierPaw grinned at her sheepishly. “My turn?”

With a nod, Dani tied the cloth on his head. 

The games continued, with more dizzy stumbling, more running and jumping, and, of course, much more laughter. Eventually though, the fun stopped, the group breaking up as adults came over to gather their children.

“Bye!” “It was fun playing with you!” “See you later!” GlacierPaw, WinterHill, and Icicle shouted the various farewells, each pulled along by their respective parents.

Dani smiled, giving her own wave. “Bye!” Then she turned her attention back to the crowd. Where were Danny and Jazz? After a moment, her eyes fixed on familiar red hair.

“Jazz!” The girl ran forward, nearly crashing into the older teen in her excitement.

“Dani!” Jazz startled with a laugh.

“Did you see?!” She waved back toward the corner. “The yeti kids invited me to play with them! It was so much fun! We played freeze tag with actual ice! And Pin the tail on the Ice Drake. And…” She blinked, suddenly realizing. “Where’s Danny?”

“Talking to Frostbite.” The other girl smiled, ruffling her hair. “What else did you do?”

“The littler cubs loved this game called Rabbit, Rabbit, Hare. We all sat in a circle, one person walking around the outside. The person who was It went rabbit, rabbit, rabbit,” She patted the air with her hand. “On each person’s shoulder. But if you got hare, then you had to get up and chase them around the circle and try to get back to your spot first!”

“Ah. Like Duck, Duck, Goose.” The red-head mused with a nod.

“What’s Duck, Duck, Goose?” Dani stopped her ramble, brow furrowing.

“It’s the same game you just described.” Jazz chuckled kindly. “I played it when I was little. You’d go Duck, Duck, Duck….” She also patted the air. “Then…. Goose!” She furiously ruffled Dani’s hair and the younger girl giggled.

Just then, Danny returned. “Hey guys.” He waved.

A new song started up, fast and energetic. Dani grabbed each of the older teen’s hands. “Come on! I wanna dance!”

The clone girl danced with her two siblings for a few more songs. They drank some punch, snacked on some of the food. Dani talked more about the yeti kids she had met, the older two listening with rapt attention. Each wore an almost relieved smile though Danny’s harbored just a hint of sadness. Actually…. Both of her siblings were being oddly subdued, a heaviness in their responses that hadn’t been there before.

Dani noted the oddity with a wrinkled brow but before she could really dwell on it….

“It looks like everyone is leaving.” Jazz mused, eyes flickering to the musicians. Sure enough, they were packing up their instruments. 

Barely a minute later, Frostbite arrived, gathering the three. “Come. I will show you your room.”

A few minutes’ walk through the halls and the group came to a surprisingly mundane wooden door. The chief opened it and inside….

Wooden paneled walls, a fireplace built into one side. Wooden furniture. A bed, a couch, a desk, dressers. The room was cozy and warm, enough so that Jazz started taking off her outer layers of clothing. “This is perfect, Frostbite. Thank you.”

Dani nodded. It did look really nice! But… her brow furrowed. “There’s only two places to sleep.”

The older girl gave her a chastising look, causing the halfa girl to blush sheepishly. 

But the chief smiled kindly. “Never fear, we have prepared for this.” He left the room, quickly returning with a foldable cot. “See! All have their place.”

After good nights to Frostbite and a short… discussion (cough*argument*cough) about who would sleep where, the three collected borrowed pajamas from the dresser.

“You can go first.” Danny motioned toward the small, attached bathroom, Jazz agreeing with a nod.

As Dani got dressed and brushed her teeth, she tried to ignore the hushed voices coming through the door. The words were inaudible… but a seed of nervousness still sprouted in her gut.

She exited the bathroom to find Jazz and Danny huddled together on the couch.

“But Frostbite did say it would be okay if she-” Having noticed her, the boy cut himself off. He met her eyes and shuffled over on the couch. Then patting the seat between him and Jazz…

Dani’s brow raised in question. She didn’t ask, instead shifting nervously as she sat.

Her brother took a breath, hands balled in his lap. “Jazz and me need to talk to you about something important.”

Well, Dani did not like the sound of that. She swallowed nervously. “Okay?”

“First the good news.” Her brother started. “I talked to Frostbite about Vlad. Long story short. The Far Frozen has beef with him. So do Fright Knight and the Observants. The Dragon kingdom and the Acropolis don’t like him very much either. Mainly because Dora and Pandora are my allies and they’re not cool with anyone who messes with me.” He shook his head. “Point is, with all the ghosts on our side, we can probably get Vlad locked up somewhere he won’t be able to bother us anymore.” Danny met her eyes then, wide and earnest. “He is going to have to answer for what he did to you and me and all the other clones. He’s going to pay for it. And we’ll make sure he never even thinks about hurting you again.”

The words hit her like a ton of bricks. Not because they hurt but because…. The sheer relief. The feeling washed over her. She’d barely even thought about Vlad the past week, too absorbed in so many new experiences and revelations. But there in the back of her mind… (Would he come back for her? Try to hurt her again? Would he try to hurt Dami again, bring him to his side?)

But Danny’s words, the fervent conviction in his eyes swept those doubts and fears away. 

“That’s great.” Dani hugged him. “Thanks for talking to Frostbite about that.”

“Of course.” He hugged her back. “I couldn’t… I couldn’t let this keep going. I had to do something…”

“And you did.” Jazz’s hand on her shoulder. “I’m relieved we have a plan now.”

The clone girl gave an agreeing hum, relaxing for a moment in that relief. Then…

She pulled away, a hint of renewed worry jabbing at her core. “You said ‘first the good news’ so…” She swallowed. “What’s the bad news?”

“It isn’t bad news.” Jazz smiled soothingly. “Remember when Danny asked you about meeting our parents?”

Dani nodded, anxiety sinking like a stone.

“Mom and Dad will be back tomorrow night.” Danny continued. “We’ll be back in the morning, plenty of time before they come home. But we need to make a decision…” The words came out, calm, sincere. But still… the boy bit his lip, betraying his own nerves. “About whether or not to tell them about me being half ghost and Phantom and… About you. And how we’re going to introduce you…”

“I don’t know…” Dani brought one hand up to her mouth, anxiously chewing on her thumb nail. (This. This was what she had been freaking out about last night…)

“You don’t have to meet them if you don’t want to.” Jazz soothed, gently pulling the younger girl’s hand from her lips. “It’s your decision.” 

“Yeah.” Danny nodded. “It’s up to you. And…” He looked out, towards the door. “Staying with Jazz and me isn’t the only option. Frostbite already said he’d be happy to give you a place to stay. And I have other allies we could go see if you don’t want to stay here. I’m sure Dora or Pandora would love to have you. But.” With the word, his expression hardened, deathly serious. “No matter what, running off on your own again is not an option. I’m not going to let you just fend for yourself. Not alone, on the street or wandering off who knows where. You deserve to be somewhere that you’re safe. ”

Dani blinked for a moment, startled. There was another option…. 

Then she scowled, offended. Did she really think she was going to run off on her own? Yeah, maybe a week ago she could have, but-

The anger wooshed out. A week wasn’t that long though, was it? 

She shook her head. “I know running off isn’t an option.” She wouldn’t, not now. Not after finally having her brother back and… maybe kinda sorta gaining a sister? The point was, she finally wasn’t alone anymore. And she didn’t think… no, she knew, she couldn’t bear to go back. “I won’t run off. But…” She chewed on her lip.

The choice… that same dread and unease she felt every time she thought about the offer of staying at FentonWorks, those same feelings rose, wrapping around her core. For just a moment, she tried to imagine it. A dad to tuck her into bed. A mom to pack her lunch. Riding the school bus to school. Sitting in class. Making normal, human friends.

Dani frowned. She couldn’t picture it, the very thought turning her stomach. No, she wasn’t ready. She didn’t want that, at least not yet. If she ever would. 

But…. staying here, with Frostbite… Danny had mentioned that too. And she had so much fun here today. There was so much to do and see. The food was so good and the yeti kids loved her. A large part of her wanted to stay here.

Another part of her seemed to curl in though, shy and ashamed of her desire. She had seen it in Danny’s eyes, and less obviously so in Jazz’s… they wanted her to meet their parents and live with them. They wanted her to say yes….

“Let me think about it.” Dani finally answered.

“Dani, we’re leaving in the morning.” Jazz countered, just as serious as Danny. “We need a decision before then.” 

“I know.” The younger girl put her head in her hands. “Let me sleep on it. I’ll tell you guys in the morning, I swear.”

There was silence for a long moment. Then… “Alright.” Danny sighed, an arm wrapping around her. “Just tell us what you want to do then.”

“Okay.” The girl said quietly, leaning into her embrace.

Dani’s stomach twisted, torn in two. She wanted to keep hanging out with Danny and Jazz like she had this week. All fun and adventure, like an endless, adult-free summer vacation. She wanted to stay with them, to not let them down. But… she wanted the Far Frozen too. To learn to take care of the ice drakes, play hide and seek with the other kids, and get hugged by Frostbite every night.

“No matter what you decide, it’s going to be okay.” Jazz hugged her from the other side.

Dani hoped Jazz was going to be right.

[dumbass-tumbler-cryptid]

(sorry for any mistakes, I should have gone to sleep instead of reading but I couldn't resist)

I managed to find time to read a few fragments and I absolutely love the relationship between Mo'at and Spider - I was blown away by "His father was lurking somewhere, laying in wait to snatch him up, what was the grandma going to do? Hit him with her house slipper?" I imagined it lol. I also read the scene about summoning ghosts and my oh my it was brilliant (I wonder if Kiri managed to "talk" to Grace?) The fact that Quaritch revealed himself every time Spider had a bad foster home>>> I honestly have no idea what Im thinking about Quaritch, in this fanfic he makes me feel pity, sympathy and hatred at the same time. I skimmed the whole work but I didn't see Lyle's name so I assume his meeting with Spider is not described in this version? During the weekend I will read everything and try to write my best thoughts about it, I feel that there will be a lot of them. I really can't believe that it finally came out and I'm glad that it's so unexpected, otherwise I would probably die of impatience if I knew that it would come out let's say in two days. I can't wait for the sequel, in the meantime, can you give a snippet? <3

Oh my god thank you so much 😭. I really love hearing people’s thoughts so thank you for sharing them with me 💞

So I’m actually not done with the expanded version of cabin! I’ll probably post another 3-5 chapters of the expanded version. I think I can probably get the next chapter out within the next few days. Lyle will probably be in the chapter after that, where I’ll expanded on his time at the Cabin. I’ll also add in and flesh out that bonus scene with Z. But yeah, I fully intended on following the plot of the original Cabin just with a ton more detail. Then I’ll finish up the endings which I’m about halfway done with. I took a break from them to write everything I just posted. I really felt like I needed to flesh out Spider’s time with the Sully’s and his time in the Cabin for the endings to have the impact I want so here we are!

And of course you can have a snippet!

**********************************************************************************************

After lunch Miles did his math work, reveling in the warmth of the sunlight like a spoiled cat. He couldn’t have spent his entire school day outside like this in his old life. Miles had to chuckle to himself just thinking about it. It had taken time to get used to his new life, but under his father’s care he somehow had more freedom now then he did back then. He set his school schedule. He decided where he studied. He set the pace of his education. He wasn’t shipped around from foster home to foster home. He had choices. He had stability. He was loved.

Pa busied himself inspecting the perimeter of the cabin, searching for any hint of an issue to fix before it became a problem. He checked up on his son a few times, monitoring his progress until he was satisfied with Miles' work. “Let’s wrap that up. I think it’s time you got some exercise.”

“Can that exercise be skateboarding,” Miles asked with a big grin and pleading eyes.

Pa huffed a small laugh, “Do ten laps around the house, fifty push-ups, fifty burpees, a hundred squates, and a hundred crunches then sure. You can do whatever you want.” Miles took off, completing his exercises with speed, skill and strength, his father standing by, counting out each rep, beaming with pride as his son effortlessly finished the tasks. Pa looked at his watch, a big smile on his face, “That’s my boy! Barely twenty minutes. But I’m not surprised. You're amazing, after all.” Miles averted his gaze, still uncomfortable with the praise his father would constantly heap onto him, though secretly reveling in it. “You got forty minutes to spend however you want. Don’t go gettin’ to wound up though y’a hear. Y’a still got to get through science today.” Miles nodded racing off to the back yard to skateboard on the half pipe he and his father had built the past spring.

Public school could never, Miles thought as he skated. Homeschool just worked for him so much better than his old education system ever had. He was so lucky that Pa had taken him away from all of that.

[extraordinarilyextreme]

Twenty Questions for Fic Writers!

tagged by @bbcphile～ thank you my dear 🫶

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

30 right now～ what a nice number!

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

363,479!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

so many, lol. right now, i'm actively writing for LHL and YRZX (and a bit LZTJ), but i previously wrote a lot for QYJ, CHSSN, and DMBJ.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

may we tie our hearts together again ⚫️⚪️ QingYa

9k, red string AU, canon + post-canon

NOTICE: Seeking Marriage Partner 💙💚 PingXie

5k, post-canon

青山仍在 | as long as the green hills remain 🪷🐕 HuaFang

7k, post-canon fix-it

but ask for no regrets 💙💚 PingXie

5k, canon-compliant N+1 things

a ghost walks into a soldier's house 💙🤍 SuiTang | 🖤💚 WeiLan

16k, crossover + crack treated seriously

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

i try my best to, but for various reasons comments will accumulate in my inbox and i might not respond to them until even a year later. but please believe me, i do read every single one.

6. What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

i write a lot of HEs... perhaps only an echo, since the entire premise of that (unfinished) series is an AU where Wu Xie isn't there to fulfill his ten-year promise with Xiaoge. rather than angsty endings, i write more angsty stories? in which case, the angstiest might be 千里自同风 | no distance too great as a canon-compliant post-canon fic that follows Fang Duobing's journey of grief. (but i don't think the ending of that is sad, tbh.) alternatively, 飞蛾扑火 | for you, i'll gladly burn is another contender given Shen Yi's big reveal in the last chapter (but also don't think the ending is sad). 红尘似水，万事入歌 | the world becomes song is pretty sad too if only because we the readers know the characters' fates in canon.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

honestly, i think most of my fics are HEs. or if not "happy," comforting for sure. most of my fics end with a promise to be together, to spend an ordinary life together, to have the chance to be in the moment together. it might not be super, like, grand or dramatic or anything - but i genuinely think all my fics have peaceful endings. so take your pick, peruse my works～

8. Do you get hate on fics?

rarely, and the few times that i have, i've simply deleted them.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

nope. i don't know how to, LOL

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

i have a guilty pleasure of writing crossovers, lol. i think they're all kinda wild:

a ghost walks into a soldier's house

镇魂 Guardian & 成化十四年 The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty

do not speak as loud as my heart

盗墓笔记 The Grave Robbers' Chronicles & 镇魂 Guardian

红尘似水，万事入歌 | the world becomes song

鬓边不是海棠红 Winter Begonia & 老九门 Mystic Nine

懷月夢 | on the summit, sun and snow

三生三世枕上书 Eternal Love of Dream & 封神演义 The Investiture of The Gods

照猫画狐 | tracing a cat to draw a fox

猎罪图鉴 Under the Skin & 无眠之境 Desire Catcher

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i know of. don't steal my fics.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

yes! 此生如梦 | this life, a dream was tl'ed into Russian～

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

yes～ @naiwong-bao and i somehow churned out the 111k monster that was 懷月夢 | on the summit, sun and snow. to this day, i have no idea how we did that, LOL

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

impossible for me to choose～ recency bias will suggest 🦊🐼 青也, 🪷🐕 花方, and 🎨🔍 城心城翊 though～

15. What's a wip you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

my 往前走 莫回呀头 | go forward and don't look back series 🥹 i had two more parts planned originally after Xiuxiu's POV... one was Liu Sang, the other was Xiaoge. (there was an undetermined Bai Haotian POV fic too.) i also definitely won't be finishing the sound of snowfall (and don't want to LOL)

16. What are your writing strengths?

atmosphere and rhythm, i think. maybe because i used to write a lot of poetry? i also have faith in my world-building (bc i do a LOT of research) and dialogue. in terms of tropes, it must undoubtedly be hurt/comfort.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

i'm not good at writing fight/action scenes (probably another reason why i literally cannot write smut). i also don't think i'm super great at description, but i think i've been improving.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

this is an interesting question because i actually write all my dialogue in Chinese first and then tl it to English since i pretty exclusively write for c-media now 😆 i like that a lot bc i think it helps me to more accurately characterize these ppl - but also it sucks tremendously when English is just the ugliest-sounding language in the world, LOL. (i always think my original Chinese dialogue is prettier and has more depth～)

19. First fandom you wrote for?

the first fandom i posted fic on AO3 for was Good Omens: i love(d) you. but in my life, it was probably like... Warriors (yes, the cats) or Shugo Chara..? idk, or maybe Case Closed (still love that series despite how insufferably long it's gotten).

20. Favorite fic you've written?

only children need to choose; adults can have everything～

tagging: @rongzhi, @elenothar, @difeisheng, @asterdust, @willowcatkinblossom, @starlitwishforu, @tunnelofdusk

[league-of-sam]

Catching A Ghost | Simon 'GHOST' Riley

Ghost x Reader

CHAPTER TWENTY

Simon 'GHOST' Riley x AFAB!Reader!OC18+ MINORS DNI!t.w // angst, mental health, language, violence, death, sexual themes/SMUT, military inaccuracies, language inaccuracies (google translate).

Catching A Ghost: Masterlist

"You hid this...why?" Price said.

"We all keep secrets, Captain." Shepherd responded.

"Why the hell wasn't I informed?"

"Consider yourself well informed now, John."

"Oh, that's really fuckin' helpful, General. Thank you. But you're a day late, and a missile short. There's three of them, we've only found two."

Gaz, Soap, Alejandro, and Ghost stood around the table, listening. In the corner, Rudy had you on a make-shift bed, made up of the old hay bales in the safe house, slowly tipping water into your mouth.

You'd only just come to, completely confused and groggy. 

But you could remember everything.

When you'd finally opened your eyes, you sobbed in Price's arms. Ghost couldn't even look in your direction, despite you desperately looking for his gaze.

"Then point yourself in that direction, and fix it."

"And who fixes you, eh?"

"I don't need fixing." Shepherd scoffed, "I'm a patriot protecting my country."

"You're protecting your own arse." Price said, standing to pace.

"I do what needs to be done, and no one holds me down with a roll of red tape. I know what's best for the cause."

Price laughed, shaking his head, "You've lost your mind, General."

"And you've forgotten what you're fighting for, John. To do good you gotta do some bad. When we shit, we bury it. That's how it works."

"Yeah...but we don't bury each other with it, do we?! You need to call off your Shadow."

"Graves?" Shepherd laughed, "He's a dog with a bone, and I highly recommend you don't try and take it."

"This is your last chance to change your mind. He tried to kill my sister, my fucking family, TWICE."

"Then what?"

"Then after I go for him...I'm coming for you."

You were left in the back room alone to recover.

Your body was aching, but your wounds had been treated and wrapped well, and the painkillers that Rudy had you take were an absolute game changer.

Hearing voices outside, you stood up, albeit a little wobbly at first, but managed to find your feet relatively quickly. Smoothing out your shirt, you walked, pushing the doors open into the main room.

At the end, the Vaqueros boys were gathered near, while Price, Soap, Rudy, Alejandro, Gaz, and Ghost were stood around the table, talking. 

Just like the day you first met them, you stalked through the shadows cast by the high windows, inching closer as you listened.

"Alright, listen- we are taking back your HQ." Price began, "We are getting our prisoner, we are killing Commander Graves."

"When?" Rudy asked.

"Now." Ghost said.

You giggled, having missed his complete bluntness.

"This is a fight against our own. We are not 141 and Los Vaqueros on this. We're a team...Ghost Team."

Ghost bent down, picking up a backpack. Tipping it up, hundreds of black, skulled balaclavas fell out. He then reached up, yanking off his own mask and tossing it to the side. 

No one said a word, all of them looking to take in his face. You couldn't quite see from where you were, but you smiled.

You knew he was beautiful.

"It's good to see you again, Simon." Price said.

"Jesus, who's Amazon Prime did you abuse to get those?" you smirked, leaning up against the truck on their left.

The entire team turned to face you, your voice seemingly coming out of nowhere. You smiled to them, pushing off the truck to move forward, eyes scanning theirs.

But you frowned, Ghost had barely tilted his chin in acknowledgement of you.

Price smiled at you, opening his arms for you to move into, "yours, actually."

"Wanker." you said as you hugged him.

The others moved to embrace you, too, all of them ecstatic to see you up and about after spending the night worried for you. They'd all seen the video now, not that you were aware yet, and were under instruction to not mention it.

Eyes moving around the room, you frowned, not finding the person you were looking for.

"Where's Alex?" you asked, looking up to your brother from beneath his arm.

"He uh, he stayed back, with Farah." Price said, squeezing you, "Told me to give you this, and to say they'll see ya soon."

He dug into his pocket, and pulled out a small polaroid, handing it to you.

It was a picture of Alex and Farah. He had his arm around her, she had her left hand resting on his chest, and on her finger, was the biggest diamond ring you'd ever seen. 

You smiled, tears welling in your eyes as you brought your other hand to your mouth.

"I can't believe he actually did it."

"Right in the middle of the mission."

"Of course he did." you laughed.

You put the image in the pocket of your trousers, and looked up. Scanning the table, you finally set your eyes on Ghost- on Simon. 

You smiled, happiness bubbling inside you. You knew he wouldn't have shown his face if he didn't trust these men, and it made you glow with pride that he'd let himself finally feel. He didn't share your look, though, opting to turn away from you.

"If you're in, take a mask...if you're not, don't."

Everyone took a mask, holding it in their hands, ready to hear the plan. 

Everyone except you. 

Price turned to you, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, I'm in." you said, crossing your arms, "as long as I get to kill Graves."

"(Y/N) I don't think-" he started, but you cut him off.

"I think I've more than earned that right, no?"

"I'll say." Soap said.

You thanked him for the support, and he smiled at you sweetly.

"But...if we're gonna be the Ghost Team, we can't go anywhere without his, uh, signature look." you grinned, holding up a tin of face paint that you'd swiped.

Amused smiles and smirks looked back at you.

Pulling a small table and chair together, you set up with a sponge and a cloth, ready to help the boys put on the eye-black. 

You then spent the best part of an hour putting on the make up for each soldier, all of them forming a line. 

Last in your queue was Soap, who fidgeted like a child the whole way through.

"So, Ghost is pretty, uh, pretty." he said, wiggling his brows.

"Got a crush on him, do ya, MacTavish?" you said, raising your brow back at him.

"Uh- well- no...shut up!"

"I'm just messing," you laughed, leaning in to whisper, "I know he is, not the first time I've seen."

"I knew it!" he whisper-yelled back, a giddy grin on his face. "So you guys are together then?"

You sighed, looking to Ghost, who was already watching the two of you with a scowl, "Well he's barely even looked at me, let alone spoken to me since I woke up, so I don't know."

"He carried ya out o' there on his back, pet. Wouldn't even let Price touch you until we got back here, let alone anyone else."

"Really?"

"Yeah. The L.T. cares about you."

"Thanks, Soap."

You laughed as Soap stood, giving you a quick kiss on the cheek before pulling his mask over his head, skipping off to join the others around the table. 

You turned, ready to greet the next soldier that you heard sit down, but stopped when you saw who was in the chair, face still bare.

"You already have some on, Simon." you sighed, placing the materials down.

"Need it toppin' up." he grunted.

"Well you know how to do it."

You turned away from him, starting to wipe your fingers, when hands landed on your hips, turning you around. With a gasp, you were stood in between his legs. 

Somehow, he was so tall that his head was still almost level to yours.

"Not here." you mumbled, trying to step away.

"Please don't go." he whispered, fingers grazing the back of your thighs.

"So now you wanna talk? You wanna see me now I'm all better?"

Ghost frowned, hating the way you were pulling away from him. 

He knew how it felt now.

"I know what he said to you."

He hated the way you screamed, begging for your sanity. He wasn't sure he'd ever get that sound out of his head. He wanted to rip Graves' hands off for putting them on you. 

He hated the way that Graves had used him against you. 

That was precisely why he didn't want to be involved with anyone. 

But what he hated most, was you needing him, and him not being there.

"What?"

"Graves. Soap showed me the tape of your interrogation."

Oh.

"I'm not talking about it here." you frowned, moving to top up his make-up. "Don't you care that everyone's here? God forbid they might see you have a heart."

You couldn't help it.

You knew it was a cheap shot, but you were hurting.

It was the scariest moment of your life, and he wasn't there when you woke up.

"No, I don't."

Your eyes widened, that was not what you had expected him to say. 

Swallowing nervously, you just nodded, leaning down to press more black onto his face, and it was his turn to smile.

But it wasn't a usual smile, it was something else.

Something that had gotten the attention of the rest of the squad.

"Hey, look." Soap said, nudging Gaz and Price.

They followed his finger, eyes setting on you and Ghost. In no time at all, the entire room was watching the two of you interact.

They watched as Ghost looked at you, eyes flicking all over your face, constantly landing on your lips. You had the tip of your tongue poked out, concentrating hard as you dabbed his undereye. His eyes were lidded, and a small smile traced his lips as you leaned in close. 

If there was a word to describe his expression, it'd be complete and utter infatuation. 

Adoration.

Love.

His hands moved around the back of your thighs and lifted, moving you to sit and straddle his lap as he leaned back on the chair. They settled around your waist, keeping you locked on him.

"They could not be more in love if they tried." Rudy said, Alejandro clapping him on the back in agreement.

"Ye think they've forgot we're right here?" Soap said.

"I think they're a little preocupado with each other, hermano." Alejandro said.

"Who is he and what has he done with Ghost?" Gaz joked.

"That's not Ghost. That...is Simon. The real one." Price said. "She brought him back."

You blushed heavily, not at all expecting this kind of behaviour from him. This wasn't like the last time you sat on him like this, though. Somehow, this felt far more intimate, and made your heard beat ten times faster.

"You shouldn't push yourself." you muttered, placing down the materials and resting your hands on his arms. "I told you, no pressure."

"I want to."

"Why?"

"Because I almost lost ya. Because I hate being the way I am. Soap was right, I can't let ya down."

"You'd never let me down, Simon." you whispered, meeting his gaze. "You make everything better."

"Yeah?"

You nodded, "That night we spent in the cabin...it's the only night I've had in four months where I didn't have a nightmare."

"Can I tell you something?"

"You can always tell me anything, Simon." you smiled sincerely.

"It's the only night in the last 10 years that I haven't had a nightmare."

You bit your lip to suppress the smile that wanted to break free. He felt it that night, too. 

It was real.

"You never answered him when he asked ya if you thought I could love ya."

You shrugged, nervously playing with the Velcro on his vest and avoiding meeting his eye.

"Do you think I could?" he said, fingers tipping your chin so you looked at him.

His face was so fucking beautiful.

He licked his lips, desperate for your answer. You nodded, eyes searching his for the unanswered questions clouding your mind.

He smiled, and slowly, he leaned in to place your foreheads together.

"Do ya think you could love me?" he whispered.

His breath hit your face, peppermint and fresh. You could feel his hands shake, one still sat on your waist as the other cupped your cheek. 

He was scared, but he was trying so hard - for you.

You nodded again, and he let out a laugh, but you were too enamoured to pay attention to anything.

"Words, pretty girl."

"Yes." you breathed, no hesitation.

That was enough.

Your faith in him was finally enough.

Breath hitched and hearts beating wildly, he leaned in, crushing his lips to yours. The way his mouth moved on yours was the perfect mixture of hunger and passion. It was perfect because it was him. 

Your hands moved up, rubbing along his arms to tangle in his hair and latch around his neck. His dropped to your waist, pulling you in impossibly closer.

Price nudged the others with a smile, telling them to look away, giving you privacy. Soap and Gaz protested, wanting to see their lieutenants embrace their feelings for each other, but with a stern eyeing from Price, they turned away too.

It felt like you'd been kissing for hours. The way he made you feel with such simple movements was beyond anything you'd ever experienced. 

Pulling away, breathless, you smiled widely at him. He let out a low chuckle, and you swore it was like angels sang.

Leaning behind you to pick up the paint, Ghost put it on you, dabbing gently with the sponge before pulling something out of his pocket. It was a mask, in your style, with his skull face printed on it like the others. Sealing the deal with one final kiss, he lifted it up, placing it over your face and securing it behind you ears. You smiled, and Ghost pulled his own over his head.

"For the record, I think Soap has a crush on you." you said, and he chuckled.

"He asked me if I was ugly, I said quite the opposite. He should have been more prepared."

"Poor Johnny."

You tipped forward, locking your arms across his back, pressing your foreheads together once more.

You were his, and he was yours.

[crepuscularqueens]

whadduppp!!!! would you mind terribly if i asked for four wips as well?? i HAVE TO ask about 'the future's in our hands and we will never be the same again' & '(how to acheive immortality (the terrible price))' !!!! and, god.. they're all soo.. your title game is sicko mode... 'when i walk into a room i do not light it up' & 'untitled bb au', too?

omg heyyy!!! i absolutely do not mind at all hehe thank you so much (and thank you SO much for the tag, these are always so fun :))

the future's in our hands and we will never be the same again was actually the second in a series neither of which have seen the light of day, but the premise of the first part is the usual post tws stuff. steve and sam are looking for bucky, natasha is also helping a lot of the time bc she's integral to the dynamic. they find bucky, bring him to a safe house, try to figure out what his whole deal is at the moment. this one starts out right before they leave for the safe house, and once they get there the four of them learn in their own ways what it is they need to be a person again, and the answer to that is CLEARLY have a shrek marathon.

Natasha got up and went to a closet, which upon opening revealed a shelf full of tapes. “Any thoughts or is it dealer’s choice?” she asked. “I don’t feel like thinking,” Sam answered. Steve shrugged as she looked at him, “No preference.” “Okay,” Nat yanked a tape out and held it aloft, “Then you can’t complain.” The cover had four characters sitting in front of a giant green ‘S’. Steve really couldn’t complain because he had no idea what it was. Sam could, though.

“Ugh,” he groaned, wrinkling his nose in mock-disgust, “Shrek? Yeah, this is definitely why you weren’t invited to sleepovers.” “Correct,” she said, clearly trying to keep her laughter at bay as she slid the tape into the machine to start the movie, “That is literally the only reason.”

&

"Well I'm not mad at that view," she said appreciatively. "Shit," Sam repeated, angling the phone away from Bucky as he stood, who was laughing and doing absolutely nothing to cover himself, "Video call, Romanoff?" "I have no regrets," she replied warmly, "Hey, Rogers, you owe me twenty dollars." "Jesus, really?" they heard Steve's muffled voice call as Sam sat back on the bed next to Bucky, who pulled a rumpled sheet over their laps to give a modicum of decency as he finally propped himself up into a seated position.

lol and also lmao this part of the series was 36k and i just. abandoned it. maybe someday i will fix it

harrow the ninth/treasure island (how to acheive immortality (the terrible price)) is actually the full title of it SO lol. this one is evil and it actively eats my brain every time i open the document. but i love it.

Silver (Harrow) removes Flint (Gideon) from his memory, awakens to find Max at his bedside, expression unreadable (disappointed? Annoyed? Smug?)

Billy (Ianthe) is soon to find him (either at the tavern already or arrives soon after. Maybe he was the one to suggest this step) wants to find the cache. Silver does not want to but after Billy takes off with the clear intent to go through with his plan (obviously not remembering their falling out because he does not remember Flint. In not remembering Flint, he also does not remember large portions of his relationship with Madi. Madi has long since parted ways with Silver, unable to stomach the lies that have festered their relationship)

Silver remembers Vane (Ortus) as the captain who he started the revolution, Charles’ death acting as what killed it in its cradle

Miranda’s (Abigail) “ghost” coming to Silver in his remembrance of the Black Sails timeline, constantly questioning the way he tells things, challenging him without explicitly stating it

In this version of events, Gates and Miranda are allowed to grow close and confer with one another, consulting on the progress of things

it's a very loose adaptation of htn, so it's more of a springboard then a real au

“How could I?” asked Billy, sour note infecting his voice, “You taught me that lesson quite thoroughly. But I want you to remember who it was that created you, Long John, who it was that made your shadow one to be so feared. I want you to remember how quickly it really is that a man can gain and lose favor, especially when there’s money involved.” “And yet, that never seemed to apply to me, did it?” you hissed, “No, Billy. I have never lost their favor before and you are not nearly as clever as you seem to think to frighten me into believing that I am close to it now. I don’t intend to be so stupid as to think myself teetering on that edge at the current moment.” Billy laughed wryly, gripping your shoulder in one hand and looking down into your eyes, expression unnervingly even, “God, this whole ordeal has made you mad, hasn’t it? I know what it is you’ve lost, Silver, I know what it is you removed from yourself to ease the pain. I know how to bring it back. Ask me to and we can be done with this whole ridiculous mess. You did what you needed to do, you never needed to feel guilty for it. “Besides, what man in our line of work doesn’t have a few bodies he’s buried? How is he any different from the rest?” “Fuck you, Billy,” you said, voice full of heat and venom as you jerked out of his grip, “I will not hear this again. I do not want what you’re offering.”

when i walk into a room i do not light it up is a magicians penntin fic because i am a clown and i'll never be over them. sorry. my usual disclaimer of don't watch the magicians it sucks. anyway this is an attempt to hook up at a party that goes TERRIBLY wrong at first but works out for them in the end

Without being completely conscious of the movement, his hand came up for a third time to rake nervously through his hair, never making it before Penny's hand closed around his wrist. His grip was solid and warm, but not too tight, like he was giving Q every opportunity to break away if he wanted to. All the sudden, the guy was in Quentin's space, apparently very interested in the hand he now had a hold of.  "I'd accuse you of trying to claw your hair out of your scalp, but I think you bite your nails too short for that." Quentin's thoughts dissolved with a bit of a fizzle, or something like TV snow, or radio static, or pop rocks. One of those for sure. He only seemed capable of stammering incomprehensibly. “I can practically hear the little gears in your head shifting into a dangerous speed,” Penny remarked with a smirk, “Jesus, Coldwater, you have no chill.” Penny’s other hand came up to gently caress the side of Quentin’s face, leaning in until they were only a hair’s breadth apart. Quentin’s brain finally caught up with what was happening and he jerked away suddenly, snapping his head back so quickly he cracked it against the sharp corner of the cabinet in a moment of confused panic. “Shit,” Penny hissed, stepping back but still half reaching out towards Quentin, "Shit, I’m sorry, I didn't read that right, are you okay?"

untitled bb au is a modern day ofmd blackbonnet fic hehehe. i never fleshed it out enough in writing, but i think the premise was stede and ed broke up and stede was being WEIRD about it (and they'd eventually get back together once stede calmed down lmfao).

"Jim said you're being weird," a familiar voice said from behind him. Stede looked over his shoulder to see Oluwande behind the bar, giving him A Look. Stede didn't want to know what exactly the meaning of it was, but it was certainly meant to convey something. "I haven't seen Jim in ages," Stede tried for plausible deniability while not quite lying. It was true, it had to have been a couple of months since he had seen Jim. "Yeah, I know. Kinda makes it weirder that you call up their work every week on the busiest night then hang up before they can help you." Right, of course Olu would know, being that Jim was his partner and they were probably getting sick of all this. Stede felt his cheeks heat up a little, but stubbornly kept up his pretense. "Could be another man who sounds like me?" "You're aware that this is the twenty first century and pretty much everywhere's got caller ID, right?" Olu almost looked torn between amused and unimpressed now, "Maybe it could be someone that sounds just like you, but unlikely his name is also Stede Bonnet. Not a common one, mate."

[drewyao]

[ chase sui wonders, genderqueer, she/they ] - was that DREW YAO i saw by the lighthouse today? i heard that the TWENTY-EIGHT year old who has been in nightrest for FIVE YEARS and works as a WOODWORKER has a reputation of being SUPPORTIVE, but also WITHDRAWN. they reside in FOG GATE & people in town usually associate them with LAUGHTER LIKE SODAPOP, THE FLUTTER OF A BUTTERFLY'S WINGS, & A WILTED FLOWER THAT'S FORGOTTEN IT'S A PERENNIAL. let’s hope the killer doesn’t go after them next. ╱ pinterest.

tw: parental death, drugs, accident resulting in injury.

basic background

first i should preface that, taking lily tomlin's sexuality into consideration, drew's mother was adopted by ida wistner as a child. however, due to her mother's preferred lifestyle ( drugs & partying ), it caused a lot of friction between the two, with drew's mother dropping out of high school and running away, soon landing in chicago where she eventually met drew's father.

anyway, i'm gonna make this as short and sweet as possible so if it doesn't make sense.......... yes it does.

--- drew's dad died from an overdose when they were three, their mother lost herself even further in her drug habit. drew's only saving grace was her skateboard and, through various competitions, eventually started making a splash as an up and coming pro; an opportunity they jumped on simply to get away from the mess that was her home life and terrible gang-riddled neighborhood.

--- sadly, after an argument with her mother over money won from a competition when drew was 22, she took off on her board and was involved in an accident with a car that resulted in various injuries, including a torn ACL, thus ending her skateboarding career.

--- whilst in the hospital recovering, drew was informed of the death of her mother via yet another overdose and the existence of her grandmother, ida. after going through the major part of recovery, ida convinced drew to come to nightrest, which is where she's been ever since.

extra bits

--- still skates, even though she probably shouldn't because it forces them to deal with knee pain on the regular.

--- really into music, the saxophone being her favourite, but she can play just about anything you put in front of her if given a bit to mess with it.

--- piggybacking off that, drew has no idea how to read music. she's one of those annoying people that can just play shit nearly perfect by ear.

--- was introduced to woodworking as a child by their neighbor and quickly fell in love with it. though they only ever calls herself a "woodworker" nowadays, drew also makes pottery.

--- doesn't partake in any hard drugs, given the history with their parents, but she's a big stoner and tends to have that kinda energy.

--- confrontation who???? drew don't know them. truthfully, drew doesn't even really know how to get upset. she's very much ~jellyfish just riding the waves~

--- hail satan maybe 🤷 depends the day

--- big lover of exploring abandoned places, both for photography purposes and ghost hunting purposes. seriously, where's the ryan to their shane?

--- really good at being a handyman? if you ever need something fixed around the house, drew is a good person to call for help.

--- has a black schipperke puppy named hades.

--- is a walking encyclopedia of a stupid amount of useless fun facts. collecting them is a hobby 😌

--- they're kinda a chameleon of sorts so this is all i'm gonna give you bc their personality changes on the fly and i'm tired bye.

[dcwnthercbbithcle]

SOMEHOW DIDN'T REALIZE YOU MADE ONE FOR DOE JDJDJSJJS but anyways. Claudette is trying <3 (and an obligatory Bro'Dee since he seems to be the bingo master?????? Like the 3rd time he's almost gotten a full board dndjsksk)

(The more squiggly lines are sorta-kindas, not yes or no)

I AM SO LATE TO RESPONDING THIS TO THIS BUT !!!!! this is so so interesting and I love it!!! Claudette is doing her best and I like to joke that like, her, Gonzo and Beavis as the construction crew Doe has accrued to try and 'make her better' she cannot be fixed, I'm afraid!

The situations can evolve so that she becomes more stable, comfortable and inclined to drop more harmful/destructive habits! (like her habit of breaking and entering) But there are parts that will never fully disappear, like her amorality, her lack of respect of care for property laws, her instinct to lie when fearful (a trauma response from her parents and reinforced by her time on the road/streets that really can't be unlearned! She can trust someone wholeheartedly, but she'll never be able to repress the knee jerk adrenaline fear of 'oh god, they're angry/suspicious/aggressive/etc. I need to deflect or they're going to HURT* me')

*I'm not talking hurt as in a slap (not that a slap alone isn't serious!), Doe expects that if she doesn't deescalate a situation by any means, she will get serious injuries that will leave an impact. Her parents, unintentionally broke a couple teeth of hers (different occasions) that lead to a potentially fatal infection in that tooth, she has scars from struggling against her brothers trying to drag her home, and well, we all know about the homeless runaway struggles!

BUT ALSO BRO'DEEEEEEE

BRO'DEE CAN SCRUFF DOE AND REHAB HER LIKE A FERAL KITTEN AND I LOVE THAT FOR HIM, I know this bingo is mostly romantic but I know Bro'Dee is looking at her as too young/small (Doe is so indignant about that, she's in her twenties and she can't help she's short! Bro'Dee is practically a giant! She can't help that she is the size of a house cat to him!) and he's just! He likes having her around as a pal, as a little pupil (even though I don't think Doe realizes he's mentoring her! Haha) and a sort of little sister/daughter type deal, y'know?? She is climbing over him, I know this in my heart and he's so patient with her! Also I know you said that Bro'Dee can't real vibe with the fact somedays she just can't be touched whatsoever and kind of has to exist like a ghost, but I know he's like, he's careful and respectful about it! He may not love it but seeing her discomfort, his heart is so big and he wants to understand! I love him!

[randomestfandoms-ocs]

You Signed Up For This Prompt List

Prompts for You Signed Up For This by Maisie Peters (+ a few bonus singles), practice good reblog karma and sent a prompt or two to the person you reblog this from

And I am sorry to make it about myself again but you, you signed up for this

Please don't give up on me yet

I know I'll get better, I’m just not better yet

Scared of everything but I'm making it punk

A small towner, I only drink to get drunk

I was so in love, and that don't come off in the wash kinda hope it does though

You're seeing someone pretty and I hate her guts, so

We were bad but we're gonna be good

And I resent you just a little if I'm honest

And I swore that I'd swallow my pride, and you swore you would do better this time

At least I'm trying

One for being lost and alone in your early twenties

One for being obsessed with someone who puts you secondary

One for calling guys with guitars in a cemetery

I want a sorry but I'll settle for a handshake

I'm the baby but I'm gonna be the bigger man, babe

Cause you're awful and I miss you and I killed you in my dream

It's a low when even in my dreams you still don't want me there

You might be awful like all of the time, yeah it's almost inspiring

This wasn't how it's supposed to go, I should be the one you're dancing with

It's not like I've been crying, no, there's just smoke in my eyes

Cause this ain't no John Hughes movie where the girl gets the guy

I keep waiting for the heartbreak music that's never gonna come

Cause if you don't want me then you're not the one

Everyone told me so, don't wait around for you

Guess I misunderstood, thought you liked me too

We went swimming in an outdoor pool and you wouldn't tell a soul at school

I'm just fifteen, I just want you so that's cool

But I don't swim and you're not in love

And you only kissed me after midnight in an outdoor pool

It's the worst day of my life but it's all good

I'm crying and it's ruining my makeup

I wasn't eating and you still said nothing

Now it's coming up roses, kicking up snow, what a long winter, what a bad joke

Love him, I did for a minute, but I'm finished 'cause I've learnt

You kept me as your favourite secret and I thought we just took it slow

I feel like you feel nothing, that's fine

Now that I'm over that hill, you wanna say how you feel

And you've got a girl but you still call me psycho

You made me feel so useful then so used

All your exes found me and so beware, we’re all friends now, maybe you should be scared

You're a serial cheater, 'you up?' text repeater

When I told you you were funny, I lied

You had a couple of exes and I know that they let you get away with it

If I was the last girl on earth you'd still be weighing up your options

She tries to get closer, so you go and ghost her

You're obsessed with your father, red flag and a half

I nearly buried the hatchet then I remembered how you messed with my head

I could be a grown up but baby, you know what maybe I'll release this song instead

I wasn't broken till you tried to fix me

I'd rather see love as an optimistic than know the things that I know now

You're the one that got away and you got away with a lot

They say it's better to have loved even if you lost bt I can tell you it's not

Cause I feel hollow

Now you're kissing that girl I shouldn't worry about, how do you think I'm dealing?

I'll burn this house, I mean it

Well, what does that make me then? I'm your villain

Now I'm drunk and I'm mean outside your house

Whole town's gonna hear how you messed me up

Sister I missed this

If you're looking for the girl of your dreams, she's in Brooklyn with me

"He's fit, go for it", but we wouldn't ever leave a sister behind

And if you wanna take her out, you're gonna have to ask me first

Come on, have you seen those eyes? It’s nothing but the best for her

I miss you already

You gave it all and I gave it up

Late nights in the old arcade, drinking cheap wine as Elvis plays

You were always on my mind

I was scared to throw my heart off the edge, easier to tell myself we'd mess it up instead

But I still wish things were different, don't you?

I can't stop, even if I wanted to, talking to strangers about you

And when I say "I'm sorry," baby, I'll be bluffing

All or nothing, you chose nothing

Thought I'd be a cool girl but turns out I'm livid

Bet you hope I'm done but there's no way I'm finished

Oh, you got away with it, you crossed then burnt the bridge

You pulled a lot of shit, I sat and bit my lip

Everybody knows that a breakup is better when there's someone to hate

But now everything is through, it’s you I wanna call though

I got busy and you forgot how to miss me

You are one tough act to follow

People don't leave people if they really are in love

I was good, just wasn't good enough

Nothing more frightening than a woman scorned

Baby, if you thought that I was trouble then you're gonna hate what's coming next

Is that an angel? No, it's your ex

Woah, I'll fuck your life up as a blonde

I'm gonna make your friends say "Man, you messed that up!" and I would have to agree

You'll rue the day you did me wrong, I’ll put your name in all the songs

I'll twist the knife, it will be fun, fucking your life up

Pinky promised that I wouldn't love somebody if they didn't

They're tortured and I wouldn't understand it

Plus they got a lot of unexamined father/son baggage, they don't wanna talk about it, is that a challenge?

Funny I could pick 'em in a line up, pretty certain I could do it with my eyes shut

I think "You're so cool and different," and then the law pulls up and you won't get in the car and I'm like, "Oh, goddamn, not another rockstar"

Talk about me, make it all about you

You'd leave me dead if it'd set you apart

Aren't I lucky 'cause he could have chosen any girl to fuck with?  And he chose me, so I guess I should be grateful

A little self-obsessive and I sign up, where's the pen? Where's the line?

Glad that I got out before it got dark

You could be a better person, no, it's not hard

If there was a moment in this where you saw it goin' different, tell me what part

[wangxianficfinder]

Fic Finder

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1. Hi Hi! There’s this fic that I feel might have been deleted but I wanted to try to find it anyway. The fic was about Wei Wuxian dying and getting reborn as the son of a massive wangxian fangirl. Wei Wuxian grows up with his mom reading fanfic of him and Lan Wangji and he also reads the actual novel and learns a few things he didn’t know before. They even bring Lan Wangji into their world through the novel I think at some point. 🙏🏼 Please help

FOUND! What Your Heart Desires by pupeez4eva (M, 7k, Humor, Crack, WWX is reborn in the modern world after his first death, where the MDZS novel exists, WWX becoming VERY well acquainted with the whole novel)

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2. Hello! Can you help me find a fic? :< I've read a fic where wwx is a human sacrifice and he is residing in Cloud Recesses. He cannot go outside his house. He also has chains on his ankles. Also, lwj is his guard. I forgot the tags :(( thank you ver much! <3

FOUND? The Sacrifice's Last Guard by 0_Heta_0 (E, 24k, wangxian, falling in love, hurt/comfort, smut, angst w/ happy ending) The GusuLan Sect is in charge of guarding the gods' chosen sacrifice until their twenty-second birthday. For years, Lan QiRen has held that duty. However, after he is called away on urgent clan business, Lan WangJi is asked to step in and guard the sacrifice for his last few months of life.

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3. Ok, not sure if I’m doing this right. But could you please help me find a wangxian fanfic. The premise is that LWJ is on a night hunt and is somehow transported to a modern world. And while he is silently panicking little A-Yuan runs into him and starts crying which brings WWX running. He thanks LWJ and offers to get home lunch. That’s all I remember, I don’t know if it was a one shot or a WIP. Thanks for your help. @gwencaer

FOUND! CH. 4 of Cosmic by apathyinreverie (T, 10k, WangXian, Modern AU, Time Travel, Oneshot collection)

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4. Hi! I can't find I fic I've read so many times and hope you can help me! It's one where wwx is a ghost and looks after jl, and becomes more aware after saving jl from a fierce corpse. Wwx kinda haunts lotus pier and jc eventually finds out after an intersect tournament(?) where jl uses one of wwx moves to beat lan sizhui. Then jc accepts wwx and wwx disguises as a new jiang sect member. Does this seem familiar at all?

FOUND? Death of a Ghost by Gotcocomilk (E, 107k, Family bonding, Fluff, Angst, Parental WWX, BAMF WWX, Hurt/Comfort, Ghost sex)

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5. Sup! I'm looking for a fic where wwx is in a coma, and the fix mostly takes place through his dreams. A lot of what people are saying to him outside of the coma comes through the dream, and I remember I think Lan Qiren notices that he has a boner? And they're excited irl bc that means his body can move? I know it's such a weird thing to remember but it did stick out. I think in the dream hes trying to keep custody of a-Yuan as well. Thanks for looking!

FOUND! From Underneath by steppjes (M, 15k, WangXian, Major Character Injury, Modern AU, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Mystery, Supernatural Elements, Demons, Ghosts, Hallucinations, Grief/Mourning, Mutual Pining, The Troubles of Baby Acquisition)

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6. I’m looking for this one fic on ao3. Wangxian are married and Lan Zhan decides to compliment wei ying. Wei ying gets so flustered that he like you can’t compliment me without a schedule meeting three days in advance. Lan zhan does that and continues to compliment him and make him blush and it end with lan zhan writing a formal letter stating that he plans to compliment him in 3 days and it will eventually lead to “Everyday” @harrypotter55

FOUND? Content Warning: Romance by Ariaste (M, 5k, WangXian, BDSM, Praise Kink, nonsexual kink, which turns into sexual kink, wwx's canonical fetishes, Kink Negotiation, basically my ongoing mission to demonstrate to fandom that Kink Can Be Unbearably Soft Actually)

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7. Hi, I hope you are doing well. I am looking for a fic where wwx is a rapper (i think he was part of a boyband before??) and big fan of classical musician lwj and asks to work together which is great for both. Set btn NYC&LA. On scene i remember is wwx falls sick due to old knee injury at AMA afterparty but media paints it as drug addiction. I am desperate to find the fic. Please help!!

FOUND? Melodies series by sassybluee (T, 241k, WangXian, Rapper WWX, Classical musician LWJ, Modern AU, Slow burn, Fluff, Hurt/comfort, Light angst, Knee surgery)

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8. Do you remember the name of the fic where wwx goes to gusu with lwj to submit to cleansing, but lwj doesn't realise it will kill wwx as the demonic cultivation is what's holding his body together? There's a bit where wwx asks lwj to do the cleansing and he thinks that the lans know it will kill him?

FOUND? 🧡decay by antebunny (G, 15k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Angst, Misunderstandings, Miscommunication, Fix-It, Angst with a Happy Ending, the fluffiest ending, Hurt/Comfort)

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9. I was wondering if you knew a post-canon fic where there's a scene in which JC, WWX, LWJ, maybe LXC and the juniors(?) All end up in the forest during a night hunt(?) And are forced to relive the Nightless City massacre and see Jiang Yanli die. And not sure if it's the same post-canon fic but one where the Elders of some sect (I think it's the Moling Su?) accuse the Jin(?) Sect of something during a discussion conference and Nie Huaisang helps out.

Mikkeneko asks: For #9 - is this the same fic where Jiang Yanli gets brought back to life following revisiting the massacre?

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10. hi there! sorry again to bother and thank you so much for everything you guys do 💕 i'm looking for a fic where it's a yunmeng shuangjie reconciliation if i'm not wrong. i don't remember the exact plot, but i think on a night hunt (?) jc and wwx get separated from the group and they encounter a dog yaogaui and jc has to fight it in order to protect wwx (i think they're both injured or sth as well and they're not in great terms yet), thank you! @bi-bi-bitteraf

FOUND! many envies by newamsterdam (T, 21k, JC & WWX, Canon-Typical Violence, Night Hunting, Ghosts, Action/Adventure, Reconciliation, Brotherly Love, Complicated Relationships, Cultivation as Plot Device, Novel Spoilers, Post-Canon, Yunmeng Shuangjie) JC and JL rescue LSZ and a cowering WWX from a pack of dog guai (and *then* JC and WWX get separated from the party.) / in many envies, after JC and WWX get lost, they’re confronted by the Baihu of Carnage—which looks more canine than feline.

thank you so much!! the one i was looking for was definitely many envies 🥰

~*~

11. Heyo Mod L and Mod C. Looking for a fic where i only remember one weird fact. WWX can only drink alcohol and eat meat? Not sure about the meat part but I remember it’s on CR and WWX need alcohol to sustain? Please help me. It feels like something i made up!(ᗒᗣᗕ)՞ @sandriya-artemis

Hi! Fic finder #11 here. It’s not the tiger verse series. I think WWX is a demon? Another titbit I remembered is i think WWX almost collapsed before they found out. JC is a good brother here! Thank you trying!! I’m kinda losing my mind over this. I even went thur the demon WWX tag but i dunno it’s deleted or i just couldn’t find it

NOT FOUND! The Tiger has Destroyed his Cage by updatebug (G, 54k, WangXian, Shapeshifters, Fix-it fic, Animal Pelts, Tiger WWX, Found Family, adopted family, Yungmeng Siblings, Canon appropriate angst and violence, Gratuitous OCs) hi, for no. 11 on the fic finder, id love to know if the asker meant the tiger fic because it does have a scene where lwj overhears jc commenting that without alcohol itd be unbearable for wwx (hed even get him poppy to be able to sleep), and they also mention the meat thing

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12. Hi! It’s @lustinyiling again. I really appreciate you guys running this blog as well as Mojo running @wangxianficrecs !! For the next fic finder, couldu help me fund the one where Wei WuXian was a servant for the Wens and when Lan XiChen and Lan WangJi visited they wouldn’t let him eat so Lan WangJi shared his food with him? The next time they go back Wei WuXian is with the pigs where he’s barely moving and waiting for the pigs to eat him. Then the jades take him back to cloud recesses and nurse him back to health.

FOUND? The Dawn Shepherd by FairyGardenCorgis (E, 145k, wangxian, hurt/comfort, angst w/ happy ending, PTSD, trauma, emotional & physical abuse, sexual abuse, torture, trust issues, slow build, gang rape, MIND ALL THE TAGS!)

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13. I’ve got a Fic Finder ask, because the answer will fulfill #14 on this post: I recall a fic where WWX, having lost a hand either to YZY or during his ordeal in the Burial Mounds, formed a prosthetic hand of resentful energy. Mondengel is a likely suspect, but I’ve failed to find it.

NOT FOUND! ❤️Love made visible by Moominmammashandbag (M, 31k, zhuli (jiang yanli/wen zhuliu), wangxian, canon divergence, fix-it, major character injury, amputation, hurt wei wuxian, angst, JYL is a ROCK, and she cultivates with food, Hurt/comfort, Mojo's Post)

NOT FOUND! brave enough to breathe by Sour_Idealist (M, 10k, JC & WWX,Canon Divergence, Golden Core Fix-It, canon-typical family dysfunction, Torture, secondary character death, Canonical Character Death) #13 MIGHT be brave enough to breathe by Sour_Idealist YZY cuts off his hand, and in later installments of the series WWX makes a prosthetic hook which he cultivates with, but not with resentful energy, since the core transplant doesn't happen in this AU.

FOUND! A Leg Up for a Helping Hand by @mondengel (M, 650, WIP, WangXian, Amputation, Angst) That sounds like they couldn't find the bit I wrote here. I put it as part of a longer work: but I just posted that first chapter to AO3 incase they wanted to read it

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14. Hi Mods! For the fic finder - I remember a very angsty fic, from LSZ’s POV. He grows up in the cloud recesses with LWJ and WWX after LWJ saved them after the siege. No one else seems to interact with WWX. He teaches LSZ to play wangxian, and he plays it to LWJ, who is stunned and sad. It turns out that WWX was either a ghost or a figment of LSZ’s imagination. There’s no happy ending. Does anyone remember it? Thanks!

FOUND? The Intervening Years by roserocksrapidly (G, 11k, LSZ & WWX, LSZ & LWJ, bg wangxian, canon divergence, LSZ centric, parent-child relationship, fluff & angst, hurt/comfort)

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15. Hi, how are you? I'm looking for a time travel fanfiction on AO3, but I can't find it. I remember a scene (in the first chapters, if not the first chapter) where shortly before WWX discovered the rest of the Wen (where he had discovered them and was just about to talk about it, I don't remember, sorry) but a "wind" swept through the whole room and everyone came back with their memories from before they died except WWX.

And he wonders who Patriarch Yiling is and, ironically, pities him for having more than the majority of the cultivation world at his back

FOUND! second verse, same as the first by Cerusee, Mikkeneko (T, 41k, WangXian, ChengQing, NieLan, Time travel, Crack treated seriously, Everybody lives, Implied/referenced suicide, Memory loss, Canon Divergence) I would add one comment: the scene that the asker describes is actually from "yakety sax arrangement for guqin and xiao" rather than "second verse same as the first." Just mentioning since 2nd Verse is the second in that series, so you won't find the scene in question if you start there.

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16. oh god ok so I read this fic a while ago and i can't find it TT_TT wwx is drowned in the lotus lake by madam yu as a punishment and he nearly dies? lwj takes him to cloud recesses and his siblings also come along and it is mostly about wwx healing. i specifically remember him being unable to smell lotus flowers anymore, or even look at them bc of the trauma of drowning with them.

FOUND! 🧡 rain falls and soaks into the earth series by RoseThorne (T, 36k, WangXian, WIP, Near Death Experience, Attempt Drowning, Madam Yu Bashing, Recovery, No war AU)

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17. Hi im looking for this fanfiction where wex turn into a kid and Lwj put him in little Lan robes that use to be a yuan. Then like Wei ying tried to drink the tea Lwj was drinking and spit it out and started banging his cup on the table singing. Then like Jin ling said he'll get the dog on wwx if he doesn't take a bath and wwx starts bawling yeah that one

FOUND? I think this one is 💖 sugar stains by lanjingyeet (T, 18k, wangxian, post-canon, de-aging, shenanigans, child WWX)

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18. Hi! I was wondering if you could help me find a fic please. It was a time travel fic I believe. In it WWX was killed by a mob of people while he was left alone and when LWJ found his body he held him until LQR came and yelled at him for doing so until LWJ cut his head off for shouting while WWX was sleeping. Any ideas? I read it when I first dived headfirst into the fandom and it got buried in the hundreds of fics I read like it. Help Please! @kasey1939​

Oh damn! I've read 18 but can't remember it either! 🤦🏽‍♀️😆 It wasn't that lwj killed lqr right away, he took wwx's body home and was looking after it like he was "just sleeping" then when lqr was like this is gross and has gone on long enough is when lwj kills him...

18 has been itching away at my brain for 2 days now! I'm pretty sure it would be ragged under time travel and the scene described is.. a vision? Glimpse that wwx observes after he has died/time travelled. Wwx died post canon I believe and the time travel is so that lwj never goes that dark... but this is only a small part of a larger fic :/ tricky tricky!

FOUND! Third Times the Charm by Kyerian and LadyLilyAnne (E, 117k, WangXian, Major Spoilers, Crossdressing, Happy Ending, Time Travel, Fix-It, Fluff and Angst, Minor Character Death, Canon-Typical Violence, Mentions of self-harm, Romance, Weddings)

NOT FOUND! they would call you my queen by HeavenlySkyfarer (E, 10k, wangxian, major character death, dark LWJ, decent to madness, royalty AU, murder, attempted rape/non-con, insanity, dark musical cultivation, ghost WWX, resurrection)

NOT FOUND! The Ones Left Behind by JaenysBloodcourt (T, 3k, wangxian, LXC & LWJ, major character death, not Lan elder friendly, dark LWJ, dark LSZ, dark LXC, heavy angst)

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19. hey, hello! looking for two fics, and this is driving me nuts bc i read both of these not long ago and now I can’t find them anywhere. A) the first one is time travel, but the reader doesn’t find that out for sure until the end. it’s told from lwj’s pov, but it’s wwx who time travelled back to the day when he and the jaing arrived at cloud recesses. he goes back to the inn to get their invitation, and then never returns. lwj has never met him, but he’s deeply influenced by jyl’s desperation to find him, and he keeps looking for him, even as canon begins to diverge greatly. many years later he does run into wwx, who is living happily as a rogue cultivator with his son a’Yuan and their donkey. it ends with him joining them ofc

B) the second one, i’m kind of hazy on. it’s an au with shapeshifter clans. the lan are dragons, i think, not sure about the rest. one thing i remember is that jin and jaing (and yu maybe) attack wen (and nie?) unprovoked (i think wen ruohan is dead and wen xu is the sect leader), and the war is very different. the lan dont come into it until later, and they do it for the sake of the nie, I think? Anyway, wwx is unhappy abt the war, he advised against it, knows they’re in the wrong, but he’s loyal. Also, he’s full human, not a shifter, which is rare for a sect general. He and lwj clash on the battlefield, and they’re pretty well matched as long as lwj isn’t in his dragon form. They form a truce to help civilians out, try to stay out of each other’s way, and after the war ends, lwj asks for wwx as, idk, his prisoner or war prize or smth, but he does it to protect him. NOT jiang friendly, as i recall. if anyone recognizes either of these, i’d be so grateful 🙏

19A)

FOUND! Strange Regrets by sunrise_and_death (T, 6k, wangxian, time travel, angst w/ hopeful ending, everyone lives au)

19B)

FOUND! Crossing Paths by Ilona22 (M, 21k, wangxian, shapeshifter au, war between sects, not Jiang friendly, war crimes)

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20. I have a fic finder request if you don't mind :) The scene I remember is just after the Sunshot campaign and the Jin (I think?) have been holding Wen cultivator prisoners during their trials. WWX meets with a Wen prisoner scheduled to be executed who has agreed to give WWX his golden core and it turns out the Wen is A-Yuan's birth father. I remember that the transplant does occur and the man is executed and WWX and LWJ still end up AY's parents. Ring any bells? Thanks! @airmidcelt

~*~

[topazy]

Inside, outside

Pairing: 10k x reader, Addy Carver sister!reader

Warnings: swearing, minor character death

Chapter: 1.09

You were in awe of the forest surrounding you as your group trekked up the black hills of South Dakota. You felt like a little girl waking up on Christmas Day. It was the first place you’d come across that seemed untouched by the apocalypse. You thought travelling without the truck was going to be hard, but now you are grateful. Sure, you’d need to get another vehicle soon, but for now you got to enjoy nature.

“We need to find a place to make camp soon,” Doc pointed out.

Warren let out a sigh, “Well, there’s supposed to be a little town nearby called Edgemont. I’ll take a compass reading at this next ridge up here.”

“Can’t we just take a break?” The older man asked.

“A quick one.”

The break only lasted a few moments before the group headed off again. Tension grew worse as Murphy continually moaned about Warren getting everyone lost. Ignoring the bickering, you walked on ahead.

“Guys, we should check this out,” you said, pointing towards a warehouse.

“That’s not a town,” Murphy scoffed.

“Seriously? Thanks for pointing out the obvious,” you said sarcastically. “There could still be something unusual inside it.”

Warren brushed both of you aside and said, “Let’s keep moving and look around.”

—

“Holy shit,” you gasped.

Doc had managed to get you inside the smaller warehouse, and you quickly discovered you weren’t alone. You all huddled around one side, as a Z that appeared to be covered in some kind of neon coloured paint walked on the other side. Everything was silent until Murphy let one rip.

“I'm sorry,” Murphy said, shrugging. “It got away from me.”

“If I die because you farted, I am taking you with me,” Doc whispered.

When the Z walked around the corner, Doc spiked it in the head. “What in the living hell? It’s glowing so brightly.”

“It’s like a zombie ghost.”

Warren shot another one as it approached, and seconds later, men in hazmat suits hurdled through the door. “Don’t touch them!”

You gripped a hold of 10K’s arm as the people continually yelled not to touch the dead. “Are the Z’s contagious?”

“No,” the man answered sternly. “Radioactive.”

“Radioactive?” Warren questioned. “How is that possible?”

The man pulled his mask up, “I’ll show you.”

You followed him outside, until you reached what looked like a small nuclear station.

It was going to be one of those kinds of days.

—

“I hope you don’t mind me asking, what are you folks doing wandering near the reactor?” The man asked.

“We were lost,” Murphy said.

“We weren’t lost,” you corrected. “Our truck ran out of gas twenty miles from here. And we took a shortcut through the woods to avoid the Z's.”

“You're not lost anymore,” the man said. “Names Wilburn Grady. This is my daughter, Amelia.”

“Nice to meet you,” you greeted.

She smiled back, “it’s nice to meet you.”

“I’m Roberta Warren. This is Murphy, Astra, Doc, Cassandra, and this is 10K in the back.”

“Wow, you all have such unusual names-” Amelia was cut off by her dad's coughing.

“Is he okay?”

“No,” she answered, her voice laced with pain. “He has radiation poisoning.”

“I’m fine,” Wilburn protested. “Let’s get you folks checked out and get you some food. Our place is just around here, down the road a little ways.”

You shared a worried look with Doc. Both of you seemed unsure, but followed Warren’s lead without saying a word.

—

When you arrived at the Grady house, you were all checked for radiation, and given iodine to keep the radiation from accumulating in your thyroid.

Wilburn explained that most Z’s in the area were radioactive, and that the radioactive core was melting down, and if I wasn’t fixed soon, everything within a 300 mile radius would be glowing. Murphy was desperate to leave, but had no working vehicles. Amelia was a pilot but refused to leave her dad to die alone, which had to be admired.

When Murphy tried to storm off after the Gradys laughed at him when Warren said he was the saviour of the world, you stopped him with your hand on his chest. “We can all vouch for him. How can we help?”

Wilburn stared at you, “Why would you help us?”

“Because it’s the right thing to do.”

“She’s right,” Warren nodded in agreement. “We will help you because it helps us.”

—

You and 10K walked at the back of the group. Glancing between the tree-lines on either side of you, keeping an eye out for any Z’s lurking nearby.

He lowered his lips to your ear, “are you sure about this?”

“Yeah, aren’t you?” You asked, puzzled. He’d never backed down from killing zombies before.

You watch his expression change as he mutters, “There’s going to be lots of radiated Z’s inside this place.”

“You're worried?” You nudge 10K and he looks over at you and shakes his head.

“It’s not me I’m worried about, it’s you.” You stopped walking and looked up at him. His eyes widened and a red blush made its way across his face. “I’m worried about you getting radiation poisoning.”

“Hey, we will be fine,” you said slowly as you caught up with your group. “We can do this. We just need to be smart about it.”

“Hear that, kids?” Doc called back. “Don’t hug the zombies.”

You walked towards the fence where a Z was trying to get through, and stabbed it in the head. “No hugs, got it.”

After Wilburn explained the rest of the plan, Warren gave out orders. “You two stay here. 10K, you and Astra cover us from up there. If we don’t get back, you get him to California somehow.”

“We should split up and cover opposite ends.” You turn and look towards 10K’s retreating figure, watching as he disappears from sight.

The position you had gave you a good view of your friends fighting their way through the Z’s and of Murphy standing beside Amelia. You didn’t trust that he wasn’t going to run off again.

Moments later, you let out a sigh of relief as Warren and Doc reappeared.

You killed a few more Z’s before reuniting with the rest of your group, and much to your dismay, you arrived to see Amelia sobbing on the ground.

You stood beside Murphy, “What happened?”

“He didn’t make it.”

—

As Warren spoke to Amelia, you stood next to 10K, who was shifting awkwardly. When he saw how Amelia reacted to her dad's death, he instantly looked uncomfortable. You wondered if it brought back bad memories for him.

“Nice shooting before,” you said quietly.

You weren’t the best at small talk or breaking the ice. The world you live in now was short-lived. Your biggest regret before the apocalypse started was not telling others you cared enough, and you didn’t want to make the same mistake twice.

“Tommy, I-” A sigh pushes past your lips, “I know it’s hard. I worry about you too. Every time you take off, or take on a Z, I fear the worst. I'm scared that you are not going to come back.”

10K cupped the side of your face and was about to say something when Murphy cut him off by clearing his throat. “I just like to say that listening to what you just said was more painful than being bitten.”

“Whatever,” you said, sighing.

“Right gang, let’s go,” Warren said, waving you over.

“What’s going on?”

“We are looking for a man named Homer Stubins who was chief engineer for twenty years,” she explained. “And he might be the only one who can save us.”

—

When you approached Homer’s house, Amelia stopped. “My dad said the place was booby-trapped. I told you, Homer’s crazy.”

Warren crouched down beside 10K, who was studying the area. “This is your kind of set- up. How do we get in?”

“One thing. Homer’s set up is aimed at stopping Z's ot a team. So if we keep a sharp eye out for landmines, trip wires…”

“We’ll be fine?” She asked.

10K nodded.

“All right,” Warren said as he turned to face your group. “The four of you guys stay here. Give us a forty second head start. We’ll flank him and come up from behind.”

Your heart rattled inside your chest as 10K disappeared from view. You weren’t lying before; you felt the same fear and worry for him as you do for Addy. But you didn’t have time to dwell on it, for now you needed to focus on the task at hand.

Forty seconds later, Doc led you, Cassandra, and Murphy single file through the garden, carefully avoiding any landmines. When you were closely behind him, turning the corner, he whispered, “This way.”

Suddenly, the wind was knocked out of you and you landed on your back. A man you assumed was Homer had kicked you in the stomach, and was now pointing a gun in your face. “You have three seconds to tell me what you're doing on my land. One- two-”

“Don’t do that, sir.” 10K held his knife to the man’s throat.

“Go ahead,” Homer resorted. “Do me a solid. Just don’t leave me a Z.”

“I’d never do that, Mr. Stubbins. We just need your help. Kindly lower your gun from my girlfriend, and I’ll let go of you.”

Girlfriend. The word made your heart swoon, but you didn’t have time to focus on it.

Homer slowly lowered the gun and showed the others inside. 10K looked back at you, but you nodded for him to follow.

Cassandra helped you to your feet and asked, “you okay?”

“I’ll be fine, thanks.”

She nudged your shoulder, “good. Let’s get inside.”

—

The inside of Homer’s house is what you imagine 10K’s childhood home was like. There is enough food, water, and weapons to survive an apocalypse. But somewhere along the line, something must have gone wrong. He’d lost his son, and if what Amelia said was true, it was the thing that turned him crazy. Despite Homer pointing a gun in your face, you felt bad for him.

You were loading up on weapons when Homer stopped beside you and asked, “Are arrows really the best choice of weapons?”

“They're silent,” you said, shrugging. “Plus, I can make arrows.”

He made a grunting noise and said, “I’m sorry about before…”

“I get it. This is your home. You just want to protect it.”

He patted you on the shoulder before walking away. Your eyes landed on Murphy, who was drinking straight vodka. With a huff, you snatched the bottle from him. “Stop it. He said we could take weapons, but not his booze.”

Murphy made a mock-surrounded gesture. The same question you’d asked yourself many times before repeated itself. How was Murphy the saviour?

—

Homer explained the different systems the best he could, and that one called ‘Robbie’ was going to shut the core system down. You stopped beside the fence as 10K stabbed a Z in the head, and Warren tried to contact Citizen Z.

“Back to business,” Homer said. “You've got two clean, rad suits in there. One for me and... I need somebody to back me up.”

You stiffened when 10k stepped forward. You didn’t try to persuade him not to go, because once he made his mind up, there was no changing it.

You watched anxiously as she put the suits on. 10K gave you a quick kiss on the lips before pulling the mask down and started following Homer inside.

—

“What now, huh? Plan B? C?” Murphy asked sarcastically.

‘Robbie’ had failed, and while the rest of you tried to come up with a new plan, Murphy's moaning wasn’t helping. “Hey, hey, hey. Not helpful!”

“All right, Robbie failed.” Homer said, standing up. “But I can still do a manual scram.”

“How? The place is crawling with Z’s”

“We go in heavier,” Doc said. “All of us this time.”

Homer agreed. “Okay, but we will need heavier suits this time. They are not far from where we lost Robbie. Five can go in, two in these suits. Me and the kid in the heavies.”

“Okay,” you rolled your eyes as Murphy started again. “But what happens if plan C doesn’t work and we wind up with our very own Fukushima Chernobyl whatever?”

You frown at him, “You mean, what happened to you?”

He spat, “Hey, I didn’t ask for the job of saving the human race.”

Warren turned to face Amelia. “Would you be willing to fly him out of the radiation zone?”

After discussing how to make fuel for the plane out of vodka, Warren left with Murphy, and Amelia while the rest of you put the suits on.

—

“That’s not good,” Homer said, observing the alarm. “We only have thirty minutes till boom.”

Great. When you entered the tunnel to the reactor core, Doc radioed Warren to let her know your location. But truthfully, it didn’t matter. If this didn’t work, you’d all be dead soon.

Cassandra looked back over her shoulder, “How’s everyone feeling?”

“Like I’m in a sauna.”

Homer pointed down the hallway, “the reactor core is right down this way.”

“So why are we standing here?” Doc was confused.

“Because it’s highly radioactive in there. I’m going into the core to manually insert those rods.”

“By yourself? You need backup,” once again 10K volunteered himself for the job of protecting Homer.

“We need to hear everything,” you said, handing him an extra gun.

You pulled him in for a hug before following Doc and Cassandra. It would be selfish of you to hold him back any longer, as you were all running out of time.

—

“Be careful not to drop me into the reactor pool. I’ll be cooked instantly.”

You shook your head, “We shouldn’t have left them alone.”

“Got it.”

“We couldn’t stay in there, Astra,” Doc gave you a sympathetic look. “We were at our limits.”

Cassandra agreed with you. “If that thing goes off limits don’t matter.”

“Homer knows what he’s doing and the kid is awesome,” Doc turned to you. “He’ll do anything to get back to this one.”

“Here I go.”

Shaking your head, you excused yourself and walked away from them. You stopped in front of a small river and sat down on a rock. There were no Z’s in sight, which is why you didn’t flinch when you felt somebody standing behind you.

“I get why it’s bothering you. I saw it on your face when 10K called you his girlfriend,” Cassandra said before sitting down next to you. “You miss her, don’t you?”

You choke down a sob. “Yeah, we used to sit up late at night and talk about boys. Addy did my hair and make-up for my first date.”

“She likes 10K, everybody does,” she chuckled lightly. “Wherever your sister is, I know she will be fine. Addy and Mack are survivors.”

“Thank you,” you said softly. You looked back at Doc, who was sitting with the radio to his ear. “We should probably get back. I feel bad leaving him on his own.”

The three of you sat by the radio, listening intently to everything that was happening. You felt physically sick hearing Homer beg 10K to kill him. When 10K refused and let out a yell, then a few moments later, a gunshot followed, you all guessed what had happened.

You jumped to your feet, and ran towards the gate. 10K stormed out of the building, ignoring everyone as he ran his fingers through his hair, frustrated.

“Tommy, wait,” you said, quietly, so only he could hear it. “It wasn’t your fault. You did everything you could.”

“You don’t get it!” He threw his gun onto the ground. “I couldn’t save him.”

You place a hand on either side of his face and say, “Homer died saving us all.”

“I couldn’t save him…”

The way his voice cracked made him sound like a scared child. “You couldn’t have done anything else. You gave him mercy like he asked. That’s all you could do.”

10K pressed his forehead against yours as he began to sob as Warren drove up on a golf cart. You didn’t move to listen to the conversation her and Doc had until Murphy appeared.

“Good news!” He yelled. “Your vodka fuel worked for ten minutes!”

“What happened?” You asked.

“Crash landing, about a hundred miles out of town.”

“Wow, you’ve covered a lot of ground,” Doc said sarcastically.

“Ten miles, whatever.”

A frown formed as you saw a zombified Amelia staggering towards your group. You pulled out an arrow. “You didn’t show her mercy?”

“No, no, no!” Murphy jumped in front of you. “She isn’t hurting us!” You lowered your weapon, surprised by his actions. “Maybe it’s time for a different kind of mercy.”

You looked at Warren, who just shrugged. You placed your arrow back into your bag, and linked your fingers with 10Ks, and led him towards the cart.

He still had tear stains on his cheeks and said nothing, but he gripped your hand tightly.

Warren drove away without another word, while the Z that was once Amelia staggered behind you.

[julemmaes]

Like I'm Drowning

Rowaelin Month, Day Twelve

A/N: Sorry about this, blame @thewayshedreamed, she's the one who wanted more angst.

This will have a fourth part, for obvious reasons;)

part one, part two

Word count: 3,874

It was two days after Aelin had left their home. It was about eleven o'clock in the evening when the walls of what had once been his favourite place had shaken with the force of Lorcan's fists on the front door, shouting at Rowan to let him in.

He had not answered.

He couldn't have done so even if he'd wanted to because his legs had stopped working and the muscles in his neck had been reduced to jelly over the last forty-eight hours, sip after sip of whatever alcohol he'd found in the cabinet.

He lay on the floor, his face in a pool of his own vomit, too heedless to care, too sore to move. In any case, he had stopped smelling the stench hours ago.

Another ten minutes had passed, in which his best friend had threatened over and over again to call the police if he didn't open the fucking door, before Lorcan had slammed his shoulder into it.

He hadn't been able to move in time when the door unhinged from the wall fell partially on him, hitting him in the head with one of the now splintered edges. He grunted in pain and could smell the blood as it began to trickle down his forehead, onto his nose, and he was relieved - he wasn't dead. Rowan had not been sure of it until that moment.

The other was there an instant later, taking the door off him, leaning it against the wall.

And the sharp breath he took was a dagger straight to Rowan's heart.

He didn't want him to see him like this.

He had never heard Lorcan's voice like that. So shocked, so worried. Whatever emotions he was feeling at the moment were blocking him from approaching him. Almost as if he was afraid of scaring him. Of breaking him more than he already was.

Rowan shook his head what he could, he didn't want him to see him like this. He didn't deserve his help.

"God, Rowan, what have you done?"

The relief at finding out he was still alive lasted a moment though, as the pain in his chest hit him so hard it took his breath away and he pulled himself up onto all fours before yet another wave of gags shook his body. He opened his mouth, hoping that this time something would come out, but he choked on nothing. His eyes filled with tears and Rowan wondered how that was possible.

There should have been nothing in his body.

He’d been in this conditions since the day before.

He felt a hand settle on his back, rubbing up and down as Lorcan tried to figure out what was going on, and his brain betrayed him, showing him images of a life he had taken for granted all along, from the second she had been his.

Him on the bathroom floor a few months earlier.

A box of somewhat-too-spicy Chinese food on their coffee table.

And Aelin.

Her hands on his back.

He shook off Lorcan's hand, "Don't touch me."

The words burned his throat and another gag went up his esophagus.

He stayed in that position for a few minutes, his back rising and falling frantically with each breath where he seemed to be unable to get enough air in.

"Rowan."

He didn't look at him. He couldn't.

"Rowan, you hear me?"

Lorcan ducked down, crouching beside him, reaching out to put a hand on his shoulder, but he seemed to remember what he'd just asked him not to do as soon as he gave him a startled look. If he touched him again, he didn't know what his broken mind would show him. He was terrified of it.

With a grimace, Lorcan clenched both hands into fists and took a deep breath, closing his eyes as the sour smell of vomit and what Rowan was ashamed to admit was his own piss reached his nostrils. When he opened them again there was a distinct determination in his gaze and Rowan had to pull his eyes back to the floor.

He thought he had found a sort of calm in which he might even be able to answer Lorcan's questions, but he was wrong. He was so wrong.

"What happened?”

“I feel-” he tried to speak, failing, “I feel like I’m drowing.”

“Why? What happened?” he asked again. And then the final hit, “Where's Aelin?"

There was no stopping the first sob. His vision went totally blurry, blackening everything in front of him until all he could see was the image of her, and his chest constricted to the point where breathing was no longer even an option. He fell to the side, against the wall, and there was no stopping the desperate crying that washed over him.

***

It was three days after Aelin had left their home. It was eight o'clock in the evening when Elide and Lorcan had asked him if he would like to go back there after leaving the hospital. It was twenty past eight when they had reached his street and he was counting down the seconds till he got to smell her perfume in the air again.

He had entered the house and tried not to breathe through his nose, realising he was not ready to remember what her scent was. He noticed how everything had been cleaned, tidied up or fixed and he didn't have the mental or physical trength to turn around, hug his friends and thank them.

He looked towards the kitchen, on the table. The letter was no longer there.

"Where is it?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

He hadn't spoken in the last few hours. Not to the couple he knew was staring at him from the doorway.

He'd been forced to answer questions from the doctors, from his coaches asking him how much time he needed. Lorcan had warned him that he'd lied for him, that he'd told them someone dear to them both had suffered a serious injury and died.

Rowan had looked at him and said a simple thank you while he lay on his hospital bed, despite knowing how much a fuckup of that magnitude risked not only his career, but Lorcan's as well.

It was Elide who had the courage to answer him, "What?"

"The letter."

"Oh." she whispered, "I put it in your room."

He nodded. Running a hand over his face he turned to them, noting how they both looked ready to launch themselves forward if they thought Rowan was going to crumble once more time.

He saw Lorcan clench his jaw and then look away before saying, "You won't find any alcohol, I threw away what was left."

Elide smiled at him with watery eyes, trying to change the subject as fast as possible, "If you need anything, you can always come to our place. You know that. We have-"

He interrupted her abruptly. He didn't look at her as he said in a harsh tone, "Thank you for everything, you can go now."

She took a sharp breath, nodding dryly and turning, hurrying out of the house. Lorcan followed her with his gaze the whole time, telling her he would join her in the car in a moment.

When he met Rowan's gaze again, the voice was the one he'd used all the years in high school when he'd been his captain. It gave no room for argument.

"I don't know what you're going through. I don't even want to begin to think about how painful it is to lose someone so important."

She didn’t die, he wanted to say. She left me.

I gave up on her. I don’t deserve her.

The steel mask Rowan was wearing seemed to be already starting to crack. He needed Lorcan to leave before he couldn't control his emotions.

He had already done too much for him.

He didn't deserve any of what they were offering him. He didn’t deserve anything.

"I can hardly imagine what I would do if I were in your position. If Elide-" he paused, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry, for what's happening. It's not easy, I understand, but whatever you're doing right now, it's not the solution. Treating me and Elide like this isn't going to drive us away, and before you tell me you don't need anything, let me just say that finding you lying in a pool of your own vomit completely hammered, out of your mind was one of the most horrifying things I've ever had to see." he took a step forward, placing a hand on Rowan's shoulder.

He had the instinct to pull away, but the grip on his jacket tightened, pinning him in place.

"I'm not letting you go, okay? I'm not going to let you throw away your career like this," he told him, looking him straight in the eye. "I'm not going to lecture you about what happened the other day. I know I would have done a lot worse, but you have to promise me that it won't happen again."

Lorcan's voice faltered at last and Rowan was surprised to see his eyes glaze over.

He nodded, his mouth slightly open, shocked at his friend's reaction.

"Promise me."

He hurried to whisper, "I promise."

Lorcan nodded, pulling Rowan to him and hugging him. He closed his eyes as the man in front of him held him together without even realising.

When they pulled away, they pretended not to hear the way they were sniffing, or the tears on both men's cheeks. They said a simple goodbye and then Rowan was alone.

Again.

He climbed the stairs slowly, walking like a dead man down the corridor filled with memories of him carrying Aelin in his arms on that very floor, and when he reached the door to their room, he hesitated.

He brushed against the knob, gripping it in his hand.

He stared at the wood in front of him and felt panic assail him.

Rowan turned on his heel, running for the stairs, the exit, hoping that Lorcan had not already left.

He threw open the door of the ghost-filled house and ran out, intent on never returning.

***

It was two weeks after Aelin left their home. Eleven days since he'd run away in a panic. Ten days since Lorcan had convinced Rowan to go back there, at least to pack up his things.

Nine days since Rowan had destroyed their room, screaming and sobbing as he tore the curtains from the windows and threw what little of her he had left against the wall.

Every ornament, every picture frame.

He'd screamed at Lorcan when he'd tried to stop it.

He hadn't succeeded. Rowan had razed their home to the ground, shattering every happy memory they had created over the years in those four walls.

Only when he'd found Aelin's ring had he stopped, bursting into tears so loud that the first sob had startled Lorcan, holding the small object to his chest.

They had gone back to Lorcan’s, and Elide had stood there looking at him with wide eyes, before running to get the first aid kit to clean the wounds Rowan had caused himself. More or less deep cuts, which his friends said should have been stitched up by actual doctors, but Rowan doubted they wouldn't lock him up in the psychiatric ward if he went to the emergency room for the sixth time in such a short time.

Especially if he came in with shards of glass between his fingers.

He hadn't kept his promise to Lorcan.

He'd drank again. He'd gotten into a couple of fights. He hadn't been back to the rink.

He hadn't skated in a fortnight. Longest period of his life off the ice.

But he couldn't do it.

He couldn't do anything. And it was all his fault.

***

It was three months and one day after Aelin had left their home. He had called Lysandra every day since Lorcan had forced him out of his and Elide's house, finding him a place right outside their team's arena. The woman had never given him any real answers, only reassuring him that Aelin was fine and that he should start moving on, too.

That too had broken something inside of him. The implications that Aelin had found someone else.

He couldn’t even bare being in the same room as another woman knowing they’d all be looking at him trying to get in his pants.

Aelin had always been the only one who wanted him for who he truly was, not his money. Not his status.

She had wished all those things gone so many times.

And she had left him.

He had let her go.

The team had sent a physiotherapist to his house every day for the first month, and then every week, accompanied by a shrink. Rowan had managed to drain them all. One after the other.

He was sure Lorcan had lost all hope too, but he continued undaunted to help him, going to his house every day after practice, without ever missing one day.

Rowan knew that Aelin had called him one night, almost a month before. Lorcan had told him, how she had begged him to tell her that he was alright, even though it wasn't true. His friend had also told him that she'd seemed to be drunk, and when she had hung up and both he and Elide had tried to call her back, Aelin had blocked their numbers.

From what he knew, she'd only unblocked Elide's, but she hadn't given him any kind of information about Aelin and he knew she'd never say anything.

He had hurt her - Elide. Rowan knew he'd treated her like little more than trash, both her and Lorcan, but however much he'd hurt her, it didn't seem to bother him in the slightest.

He should have felt something for his friends who had given him everything in the last period, but Rowan could not care less than what they had to go through for him.

Now he was waiting for Lorcan, sitting at the table, to show him he was alright. Putting on his daily show and reassuring his friend that everything was going great, he just wasn't ready to skate again yet. The other one would look at him, yell at him a few minutes before walking out of his miserably empty flat slamming the door.

Rowan was just waiting for the day when he wouldn't show up or when he would tell him he wasn't coming, saying goodbye one last time.

He knew it would happen, one way or another, and Rowan didn't know how to stop the mess that had become his life.

That day it wasn't Lorcan who entered his house, but someone else. Rowan opened the door and saw his agent, his team president, and his coaches, along with the athletic trainers.

They had given him an ultimatum.

Either you go back to slacking off after Christmas break or we break your contract, you're off the team and you lose lots of money.

The president had been particularly emphatic on the subject of money, but for Rowan that would be the least important thing.

It wasn't until the evening after New Year's Eve that he had made a decision.

Lysandra, whom he hadn't seen in person in more than two months, had entered his house looking like someone who hadn't slept in years. She had forced him out of bed, shouting at him to wash up, to clean his house. She had made it so Rowan couldn't talk back, never letting him speak, pushing him left and right.

She had taken him outside, something he hadn't done in weeks, so much so that the sun had hurt his eyes for the first two hours. She had forced him to buy new clothes and all the missing furniture in his house.

She had stayed with him for three days.

Three extremely long days in which she had swore at him, insulted him in every possible way imaginable by the human mind. They'd nearly come to blows when she'd touched a sore spot and Rowan had threatened to call Aedion to haul her away.

She'd dragged him to the party Fenrys had thrown for the New Year and for the first time in months, Rowan had smiled.

Elide had started crying when she'd seen him, Lorcan on the verge of tears as well. They had both hugged him and Rowan had begged for their forgiveness.

That night, Rowan thought things would be different for him for the first time.

He'd been wrong.

Again.

***

It was four years and twenty-seven days after Aelin had left their home. Four years since he had received no news of her. Three years since he stopped asking.

Rowan had been zapping through channels for so many hours now that the glaring light of the TV didn't even bother him anymore. His eyes were slightly glazed over as he stared at the screen, not really looking at the images in front of him. He caught a glimpse of a sentence here and there, ignoring the constant tinkle coming from his phone that warned him that Lorcan still didn't give up on talking to him every day from the moment he woke up to the moment he went to sleep. Even when he was on holiday with his now wife.

They had won yet another cup. The third win in a row.

Sometimes Rowan could hardly believe it.

Three Stanley Cups.

On his dream team.

He should have been excited. No, not excited.

He should have been the happiest man on earth. He should have been out celebrating with his teammates, vacationing on a tropical beach like Lorcan was doing, surrounding himself with girls ready to offer him anything to spend even just one night with him.

But Rowan didn't want to.

Rowan felt nothing – he had not felt anything in the last few years of his life. How did he expect to start now? For a measly win.

He hated hockey. He hated the sport. Hated the fans, his teammates.

He hated his life.

He was about to turn off the TV, confident that he would be able to sleep tonight without the help of the meds the team kept giving him to keep him from collapsing during the games, when his finger froze on the remote.

He didn't know what he was watching, but it seemed to be a channel about gossip, and Rowan felt a pang of anger well up in his chest. It seemed to be the only emotion he still felt from time to time.

Shocked and pissed that someone had felt the need to devote an entire channel to minding other people's business, he stood up, ready to pass out in his cold bed, when the words of the man on the screen stopped him in his tracks.

"And now to the latest news, straight from the social of the Toronto Maple Leafs' rookie player, Chaol Westfall, who has announced his marriage to the stunningly beautiful girlfriend, Aelin Galathynius. She has never been very active on social media, in fact, for somebody with such a charm, she'd be perfect in the role of influencer, but-"

Rowan stopped hearing.

He felt his body's reaction in time, and rushing to the kitchen, he managed to get everything his body was rejecting in the sink. He heaved in there till the last bit of what he’d eaten a few hours ago.

His heart was racing and he had to grip the counter to keep from kneeling on the floor.

That couldn’t be true.

Aelin was getting married.

Aelin was getting married to an hockey player.

The anger blinded him as her words flashed before his eyes.

I can’t do this anymore.

I’m weak. I’m so tired.

This isn’t the life I wanted for us.

I wish I could be your “’till death do us apart”, but I can’t.

The sound that came out of him was not human as he ran to his room and snatched the ring from the drawer next to his bed, the letter that just went wherever he went and raced out of the flat that never felt his own anyway.

***

It was four years and thirty days after Aelin had left their home.

Rowan stood in front of the journalists. Everyone was gaping at him, his teammates on the sidelines were looking his way as if he’d grown three heads.

And he couldn’t blame them, but he had needed to do this a long time ago.

He’d talked to his agents, the team’s president, everyone he had needed to to make this happen and he hadn’t felt such freedom in so long.

The questions just kept on coming and coming and he couldn’t distinguish the words. But he didn’t care.

He only needed to make this statement in front of everyone.

“I’m aware that leaving this team right now is a foolish and completely insane idea, but this world has taken too much from me already. My contract with the Senators ended with this season and I know everyone was expecting me to say which team I’m heading off to, but I’m quitting.

“I should have done this a long time ago and I’m sure the person this is for won’t even see this interview, but I love someone who thought she wasn’t enough for me. She told me four years ago her love wasn’t enough. I’m leaving cause hockey has not been a source of happiness in a very long time and it ruined everything good I ever had.

“I thought I loved playing cause of the adrenaline. The pride in a win. The chills when you score. But no, it wasn't that.”

I loved seeing her smile whenever I scored for her. The way she used to put medications on my wounds and bruises whenever I got hit too hard. Or the way we used to get all cuddled up after a long flight, after weeks of not seeing each other. I loved how my jerseys fit her – the way my clothes fit her.

He turned to his teammates, the people he owned a lot but couldn’t bring himself to care enough of to stay with them, “Being on this team would only make it worse. I’m sorry guys, I hope you can understand. This isn’t what I want right now.”

And right before he could get off the stage that had been set up for him, someone screamed from the crown.

“What are you going to do now?”

He didn’t stop to reply, avoiding everyone’s gazes and keeping on walking until he reached the exit of the arena. The chill air hit him hard as he went out on the street and got on the car.

This was the last time he’d be able to use one of the team’s cars.

The driver looked at him in the mirror, “Where to?”

“The airport, please.”

The man nodded and started the engine and Rowan felt something he hadn’t felt in years.

Hope.

Now, I’m going to get her.

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